US Coast Guard selects Honeywell HUMS for MH-60T fleet

Honeywell’s health and usage monitoring systems (HUMS) will be installed across the entire MH-60T helicopter fleet of the US Coast Guard following the award of a $4.8 million contract announced on 17 December.

The installation of Honeywell's Zing HUMS 1239 will greatly enhance the US Coast Guard's ability to monitor onboard systems and manage maintenance requirements more efficiently.

HUMS is a sensor-based monitoring system that enables preventative maintenance by measuring the health and performance of mission-critical components. By continuously monitoring vibration at numerous points throughout the drivetrain and pinpointing mechanical faults before they become catastrophic failures, HUMS provides actionable information will allow the coast guard to anticipate mechanical failures and make anticipatory maintenance decisions. Honeywell's HUMS products can be installed onboard or used as a portable system for rotor or fixed-wing platforms.

According to Honeywell, the coast guard will use 42 Zing HUMS 1239 aircraft kits and 24 ground support kits, all of which will be delivered before the end of 2012, to monitor critical drivetrain components such as the helicopters' rotor shafts, making sure that the aircraft is ready to fly at all times. The data collected by the system is easily downloadable into a user-friendly ground station that allows operators to quickly see the status of all selected components instantly, without the costs associated with traditional contractor support.

Brian Sill, vice president of Defense Americas Aftermarket, Defense & Space, Honeywell Aerospace, said: ‘Honeywell is a leading provider of HUMS solutions for rotor and fixed-wing aircraft around the world. US Coast Guard MH-60T operators will now have key insight and information about potential mechanical issues before they happen, which will help them keep the MH-60T platform running and available when needed.’