Lockheed Martin’s subsidiary Sikorsky has recently delivered the initial airframe of 45 replacement MH-60T Jayhawk helicopters to the US Coast Guard (USCG). This delivery marks the beginning of a decade-long program aimed at expanding the service life of the USCG’s current MH-60T fleet.
The Coast Guard Aviation Logistics Center (ALC) in Elizabeth City, North Carolina will begin rebuilding the first MH-60T helicopter with a new airframe in December 2023. The new airframe consists of the nose, cabin, and aft transition structures, which have been combined into a single assembly. For the past 33 years, the ALC has been responsible for maintaining and repairing the Jayhawk helicopter fleet and has ensured that the airframe has not exceeded its maximum operational life limit of 20,000 flight hours.
Sikorsky was awarded a $374 million contract to manufacture and deliver a total of 45 MH-60T airframes to the Coast Guard ALC. The production is scheduled to continue until 2027, with a production rate of 12 airframes per year. The Coast Guard authorized Sikorsky to commence full-rate production with the fourth airframe on 31 October 2023.
The MH-60T Jayhawk is a multi-mission, twin-engine, medium-range helicopter operated by the USCG for search and rescue missions, law enforcement, maritime patrol, drug interdiction and counter-terrorism operations.
