Lockheed Martin Delivers 200th Cockpit to US Navy MH-60 Helicopter Programs

Lockheed Martin has delivered the 200th Common Cockpit avionics suite to the US Navy's MH-60R and MH-60S multimission helicopter programs.

The avionics suite has flown more than 250,000 flight hours aboard the two Seahawk helicopter types since cockpit deliveries began in January 2000.

To date, Lockheed Martin has delivered 47 cockpits for the MH-60R, the Navy's newest and most advanced anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare helicopter. Another 153 cockpits have been produced for the MH-60S, which currently performs ship-to-ship vertical replenishment, protects the fleet with Hellfire air-to-surface missiles, and eventually will perform mine clearance operations.

"The suite's common avionics architecture meets the Navy's need for a single cockpit that can talk to multiple weapons and sensor systems aboard the MH-60R and MH-60S helicopters, and display the integrated information," said Richard Holmberg, general manager of Naval Helicopter Programs at Lockheed Martin Systems Integration in Owego, NY where the cockpit is designed and built.

"This commonality drives down total ownership costs by providing Navy maintainers with a single logistic support infrastructure, and enabling our development team to easily add mission capabilities when needed."

The Common Cockpit avionics suite is designed to support technological improvements for weapons, navigation and communications systems. Recently, Lockheed Martin added a Link 16 communications data link by which aircrews can automatically exchange tactical information with friendly ships and aircraft, and coordinate a response to assigned targets and threats.

"The ability to add new mission technology to the Common Cockpit avionics suite will continue to give our aircrews the advantage during the 30-year life of these Seahawk aircraft in defense of the Fleet," said Capt. Dean Peters, MH-60 Multi-Mission Helicopter program manager. "The system has demonstrated very high reliability during 10 years of operation in the maritime environment."

The Lockheed Martin cockpit's mission and flight management systems augment the very capable Sikorsky-built MH-60 Seahawk aircraft. Aboard the MH-60R, the computing power automates many of the tasks associated with locating, tracking and prosecuting surface vessels and submarines. Four large 8 in. x 10 in. color displays provide dual flight and mission instrumentation, enabling the pilot and co-pilot to share workload.

Lockheed Martin currently is performing on time and schedule as part of a $521 million multi-year contract that combines five annual fiscal year buys from 2004 to 2009 into a single purchase at estimated savings to the Navy of $64 million. Cockpit production is expected to continue through 2015 to meet U.S. Navy requirements for 300 MH-60R and 273 MH-60S aircraft.