Lockheed aircraft prepping for flight test

Lockheed Martin officials are preparing a pair of Sikorsky-built HH-60W Combat Rescue Helicopters (CRH) for flight tests at the facility’s West Palm Beach site in Florida.

“Having these initial HH-60W helicopters in West Palm Beach for flight test is an exciting time for the Sikorsky team,” Greg Hames, Sikorsky’s Combat Rescue Helicopter program director, said. “It is the first step toward a low rate initial production decision later this year, which will allow Sikorsky to provide a constant production flow of aircraft to the warfighter. This is the point in the program when Sikorsky begins providing new aircraft into the warfighters’ hands, initiating transition to the vastly more capable and reliable HH-60W Combat Rescue Helicopter.”

The Air Force-bound aircraft were transported late last year to West Palm Beach following final assembly at Sikorsky’s facility in Stratford, Conn., adding the aircraft test readiness review was completed in October 2018 and the CRH HH-60W flight test team is currently preparing both aircraft for flight by conducting final installation of instrumentation and ground run testing.

“Our team is working every day to build and deliver a superior quality helicopter to the U.S. Air Force for this critical mission,” Hames said. “Both Sikorsky and the Air Force remain committed to achieving a low rate initial production decision this year and getting this much-needed aircraft to our airmen and women out in the field.”