Helikopter - Oppdatering rundt VH-92A, men ikke mye nytt - AIN

Det er påfallende hvor flinke helikopterfabrikantene er til å fortie ulykker med deres typer. Så også nå. Jeg finner ikke et ord i amerikansk presse om at det nye presidenthelikopteret, VH-92A, er i nær slekt med det som havarerte i Middelhavet nylig. Det er ikke noe å høre om det koreanske H225 helikopteret som havarerte i desember i fjor heller. Åpenhet rundt ulykker er en vanskelig øvelse, åpenbart. (Red.)

VT Group Wins Support Contract for New Marine One Helo

The U.S. Navy awarded technology integrator VT Group a five-year, $105 million contract to support the presidential helicopter fleet with research, test, and evaluation, as well as integrated logistics, engineering, and maintenance support. The new contract continues the support VT Group has provided the Presidential Helicopters Program Office since 2004 and integration of the new Sikorsky VH-92A helicopter into the fleet.

Currently comprising a mix of VH-3D and VH-60N helicopters—derivatives of the Sikorsky Sea King and Black Hawk helicopters, respectively—as many as 21 VH-92As are expected to serve as replacements to the fleet, which provides transport for the U.S. president as Marine One, as well as the vice president and heads of state, among others. Two test VH-92As are also part of the procurement.

“The presidential helicopters support contract is the flagship of VT Group's growing aerospace engineering portfolio,” said VT Group president and CEO John Hassoun. “We are immensely proud to be NAVAIR's [Naval Air Systems Command’s] partner-of-choice for this high profile, mission-critical program, and equally proud of our engineers and technical experts who remain committed—day in and day out—to NAVAIR's 100 percent mission success requirement.”