Below is a news release from the Acquisitions Directorate, CG-9. This is how the Coast Guard intends to keep the H-60s going until the “Future Vertical Lift” aircraft arrive. Also looks like the H-60, which have already been with the Coast Guard for 30 years, could continue in service for another 30.
Jan. 21, 2021 —
The Coast Guard today awarded a contract to Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation of Stratford, Connecticut, for new H-60 helicopter hulls as part of a program to sustain existing MH-60T helicopter hulls reaching the end of their service life. The indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract extends through April 2025 and has a potential value of $850 million.
As part of the contract award, the Coast Guard placed an initial order for 25 new hulls. The initial order, with a total value of nearly $207 million, includes non-recurring engineering costs, which enables Sikorsky to produce the hulls in the Coast Guard MH-60T configuration. The first three hulls will be used for validation of Sikorsky’s production processes and Coast Guard hull assembly procedures before moving to full rate production of the next 22 hulls. Delivery of the first new hull is anticipated in early 2023, with subsequent hulls scheduled for delivery at approximately one per month starting in late 2023.
The Coast Guard’s H-60 helicopters have been in service since 1990, and the first helicopters in the fleet are set to reach their 20,000-hour service life limit in 2023. The new hulls being delivered under this contract will replace the hulls in the legacy airframes and provide an additional 20,000 flight hours of service. These new hulls, combined with existing programmed service life extension activities, will enable the Coast Guard to align operations with the timeline for future fleet recapitalization in conjunction with the Department of Defense’s joint Future Vertical Lift program. The service plans to complete the program on a one-for-one basis as the existing helicopters reach their maximum flight hours, thereby maintaining the fleet size of 45 helicopters.
Hull replacement is just one component of the MH-60T sustainment effort. In addition to hull replacement, replacement of select dynamic components, such as main rotor blades, as well as full replacement of electrical wire harnesses will take place. Aircraft production – assembly of the hulls, installation of dynamic components, and wire harness replacement – will be completed at the Coast Guard Aviation Logistics Center in Elizabeth City, North Carolina.
For more information: MH-60T Sustainment program page
New wiring harnesses too.
https://www.dcms.uscg.mil/Our-Organization/Assistant-Commandant-for-Acquisitions-CG-9/Newsroom/Latest-Acquisition-News/Article/2506283/coast-guard-installs-first-new-wire-harness-kit-for-mh-60t-sustainment-effort/
The Coast Guard marked an important step in its MH-60T sustainment program when installation, testing and acceptance of the first new wire harness kit were completed Feb. 8. Installation and testing of this first article were conducted at the Coast Guard Aviation Logistics Center (ALC) in Elizabeth City, North Carolina.
The wire harness kit consists of 79 individual, interconnected wire harnesses that provide electrical power and transmit signals for nearly all the aircraft’s systems and subsystems. The wire harnesses are being replaced concurrently with the helicopter hull as part of a program to extend the service life of the Coast Guard’s current fleet of MH-60T helicopters for up to an additional 20,000 flight hours. Wire harnesses installed on the hulls will be a 100 percent form, fit and functional replacement of the existing wiring; they do not increase the overall capability or add new capabilities to the MH-60T aircraft.
TFAB Defense Systems LLC (Tyonek) was awarded a contract for the non-recurring engineering and production of seven wire harness kits in May 2019. Tyonek will deliver the six remaining wire harnesses to the ALC by the end of 2021. The remaining wire harness kits needed to complete the MH-60T sustainment program will be produced and delivered under a future contract.
For more information: MH-60T sustainment program page
U.S. Coast Guard Orders Five Additional New MH-60T Hulls From Sikorsky,
https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2021/07/u-s-coast-guard-orders-five-additional-new-mh-60t-hulls-from-sikorsky/
From CG-9:
MH-60T Sustainment Program adds one additional hull to IDIQ contract
Aug. 20, 2021 —
The Coast Guard ordered one additional new MH-60T hull from Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation of Stratford, Connecticut, Aug. 17 to support the service’s ongoing service life extension of its original fleet of 45 MH-60Ts.
A July 6 delivery order for five hulls was modified to include the additional helicopter hull, valued at just over $6.8 million. The Coast Guard has ordered a total of 31 new hulls on the existing indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract. The initial order of 25 hulls, worth nearly $207 million, was placed in January 2021. Delivery of the first new hull is anticipated in early 2023, with subsequent hulls scheduled for delivery at a pace of approximately one per month starting in late 2023.
The Coast Guard’s MH-60 helicopters, which have been in service since 1990, are reaching the end of their service life. This order provides new MH-60T hulls with 20,000 hours of service life to support the Coast Guard’s 11 statutory missions, including drug interdiction, environmental protection and search and rescue.
Hull replacement is just one component of the MH-60T sustainment effort. In addition, some critical dynamic components such as main rotor blades and electrical wire harnesses will also be replaced. Aircraft production – the assembly and installation of dynamic components on the hulls – will be completed at the Coast Guard Aviation Logistics Center in Elizabeth City, North Carolina.
For more information: MH-60T Sustainment Program page
Another contract for eight more wire harnesses.
https://www.dcms.uscg.mil/Our-Organization/Assistant-Commandant-for-Acquisitions-CG-9/Newsroom/Latest-Acquisition-News/Article/2924444/coast-guard-awards-wire-harness-contract-for-mh-60t-sustainment-effort/
Pingback: “The Coast Guard’s MH-65 Helicopter Fleet Is Headed For Trouble” –Forbes + Maybe MQ-8Bs | Chuck Hill's CG Blog
Contract for 11 more replacement hulls. https://www.dcms.uscg.mil/Our-Organization/Assistant-Commandant-for-Acquisitions-CG-9/Newsroom/Latest-Acquisition-News/Article/3105432/coast-guard-orders-11-new-mh-60t-hulls/ Announcement below.
The Coast Guard ordered 11 additional new MH-60T hulls from Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation of Stratford, Connecticut, July 14 to support the service’s ongoing Service Life Extension Program on its original fleet of 45 MH-60Ts.
With this action, valued at nearly $75 million, the Coast Guard has ordered a total of 42 new hulls. The indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract was awarded in January 2021 and included an initial order of 25 hulls. With the latest order, combined with other prior orders, the total value obligated against the IDIQ contract is almost $323 million.
Delivery of the first new hull is anticipated in mid-2023, with subsequent hulls scheduled for delivery at a pace of approximately one per month starting in late 2023.
The Coast Guard’s MH-60T helicopters, which have been in service since 1990, are reaching the end of their service life. This order provides new MH-60T hulls with 20,000 hours of service life to support the Coast Guard’s 11 statutory missions, including drug interdiction, environmental protection and search and rescue.
Hull replacement is just one component of the MH-60T sustainment effort. In addition, some critical dynamic components such as main rotor blades and electrical wire harnesses will also be replaced. Aircraft production – the assembly and installation of dynamic components on the hulls – will be completed at the Coast Guard Aviation Logistics Center in Elizabeth City, North Carolina.
For more information: MH-60T Sustainment Program page