Sikorsky Concludes Critical Design Review of Combat Rescue Chopper Training Devices

Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky subsidiary has wrapped up a critical design review of the training systems for the Combat Rescue Helicopter program designed to replace the U.S. Air Force’s fleet of HH-60G Pave Hawk aircraft.

The CDR’s completion will pave the way for the HH-60W helicopter’s training systems to enter the assembly, evaluation and testing phase, Lockheed said Wednesday.

HH-60W is designed to perform military search-and-rescue and personnel recovery missions for all U.S. service branches.

“The aircraft production is well under way, and with our training system design well understood by all parties, we can now begin assembly of the training devices and courseware as well,” said Tim Healy, CRH program director at Sikorsky.

Sikorsky secured a $1.5 billion contract to engineer, manufacture and develop nine HH-60W aircraft, instructional courseware and six aircrew and maintenance training equipment for the Air Force, whose program of record covers the development of 112 CRH aircraft.

Training devices for the CRH program include aircraft maintenance trainers, full-motion flight stimulators and “part task training devices” for avionics, landing gear, rescue hoist and other aircraft systems.

The Lockheed subsidiary said it expects HH-60W to be ready for its initial flight by late 2018 and to have the courseware and training devices for the aircraft available by early 2020.

Sikorsky completed the air vehicle CDR phase in May.