U.S. Navy Deploys CAE MH-60R Tactical Operational Flight Trainer

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UNITED STATES - 1 FEBRUARY 2011

Tampa, Fla., USA, February 1, 2011 – (NYSE: CAE; TSX: CAE) – CAE USA today announced that the first full-motion MH-60R tactical operational flight trainer (TOFT) built by the company for the United States Navy has been declared ready-for-training and entered service at Naval Station Mayport near Jacksonville, Florida.

The MH-60R TOFT includes both an operational flight trainer (OFT) used to train pilots and co-pilots as well as a weapons tactics trainer (WTT) used to train sensor operators in the MH-60R Romeo helicopter. When networked and used in joint mode, they become an MH-60R TOFT to provide the Navy with a comprehensive training solution designed to provide a total aircrew mission training system.

The MH-60R TOFT now declared ready-for-training is the first full-motion MH-60R TOFT to be built by CAE for the Navy. It features a six degree-of-freedom CAE TrueTM electric motion system as well as motion seats to provide vibration and motion cueing for enhanced realism.

"We are pleased the Navy has declared the first CAE-built full-motion MH-60R tactical operational flight trainer ready for training on-time and on-schedule," said John Lenyo, president and general manager, CAE USA. "The Navy now has put into service comprehensive MH-60R Romeo training systems from CAE that are helping pilots, rear crews, and maintenance personnel prepare for mission success."

CAE USA is the prime contractor responsible for the design and manufacture of MH-60R TOFTs as well as MH-60R avionics maintenance trainers for the Navy. Previously, CAE USA had delivered two fixed-based MH-60R TOFTs to the Navy that are currently in-service at Naval Air Station (NAS) North Island and NAS Jacksonville. Last week, CAE USA was awarded a contract to design and manufacture four additional MH-60R TOFTs. CAE USA is also the prime contractor responsible for delivering a range of MH-60S Sierra training systems to the Navy.

The CAE True electric motion system is a state-of-the-art all-electric motion system that provides more accurate and authentic cues for pilot training and is more environmentally-friendly than hydraulic-based or hybrid electric-hydraulic motion systems. The CAE True electric motion system consumes less energy, requires less maintenance and reduces labor requirements, therefore decreasing overall simulator operating costs.

Source: CAE

 

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U.S. Navy MH-60R multi-mission helicopter

Operational and deployed today with the U.S. Navy as the primary anti-submarine warfare anti-surface weapon system for open ocean and littoral zones, the MH-60R SEAHAWK® helicopter is the world's most advanced maritime helicopter. It is the most capable naval helicopter available today designed to operate from frigates, destroyers, cruisers and aircraft carriers.

Also known as the 'Romeo', The MH-60R multi-mission helicopter combines the capabilities of the Navy's legacy SH-60B and SH-60F helicopters into a single sensor-rich platform operated by a three-person crew. Secondary missions include search and rescue, vertical replenishment, naval surface fire support, medical evacuation, and communications and data relay.

The MH-60R elevates tactical maritime mission capability to a new level by building on decades of proven partnership performance between Lockheed Martin's Mission Systems and Sensors business and Sikorsky Aircraft Corp.

With more than 38 years of mission system integration experience, and as the prime systems integrator for the MH-60R, Lockheed Martin has integrated a variety of mission systems to provide the aircrew, and the battle group via data link, an accurate and real-time situational picture of the surface and subsurface domains. Mission computers apply smart automation to process the sensor data into actionable knowledge, prioritize threats for the crew to act on, and reduce workload.

The weapon system can operate independently to detect, locate, identify, track and prosecute targets. But it fights most effectively when sharing situational awareness with the host ship and other forces. As a key node on the network, the MH-60R can collect and stream situational awareness data to the host ship via C-band data link (Ku-band by 2012), and can collaborate with air assets via Link 16.

The MH-60R became operational in late 2005 following 1900 hours of rigorous flight and mission systems evaluations by U.S. Navy test squadrons. The aircraft deployed for the first time in January 2009 with the John C. Stennis (CVN 74) carrier strike group. During exercises in the western Pacific, the aircraft achieved a 95 percent sortie completion rate.

For more than 10 years, the Navy has invested U.S. $1 billion to develop the MH-60R airframe and its heavily integrated mission systems, and is also implementing an existing technology roadmap to continue adding new capabilities to the platform as they become mature.

The MH-60R is in full rate production with aircraft manufacturer Sikorsky and mission systems integrator Lockheed Martin. In September 2010, Lockheed Martin delivered the 74th fully-integrated aircraft to the Navy. To date, the Navy has established five of 20 MH-60R squadrons, with plans to purchase 300 aircraft.

MH-60R Enhanced Multi-Mission Sensor Systems:

"¢ New APS-147 multi-mode radar with long/short range search Inverse
Synthetic Aperture Radar (ISAR) imaging and periscope detection modes.

"¢ Integrated AQS-22 Airborne Low Frequency Sonar (ALFS) with expanded
littoral and deep-water capability, including concurrent dipping sonar and
sonobuoy processing capability.

"¢ New commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) based mission and flight
management computers.

"¢ The latest full color, night vision capable, sunlight-readable glass cockpit
common with USN MH-60S helicopters.

"¢ New ALQ-210 Electronic Support Measures (ESM) system for passive
detection, location and identification of emitters.

"¢ Sensor data fused into actionable information provides threat assessment
and superior situational awareness of the digital battlefield.

"¢ Integrated AAS-44 Forward-Looking Infrared (FLIR) system for expanded
night vision and HELLFIRE targeting capability.

"¢ Integrated Self Defense (ISD) system providing Chaff and Flare
countermeasures, and self-protection or RF, IF and Laser threats.

"¢ Hawklink wideband connectivity to the host ship, Link 16 tactical radio,
provide greater mission visibility to the Battle Group commander.

Source: Lockheed Martin

 

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Video: U.S. Navy MH-60R multi-mission helicopter

 

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MH-60R Helicopter Takes Center Stage

Lockheed Martin delivers 100th Romeo to U.S. Navy;
Australia selects aircraft to replace existing fleet

The MH-60R maritime helicopter took center stage at Lockheed Martin's Owego, N.Y., facility on June 28 with the delivery of the 100th aircraft to the U.S. Navy.

The milestone puts the program well on the road to fulfilling the U.S. Navy's master plan that calls for purchasing 300 MH-60Rs, more commonly known as Romeos, to replace the navy's aging fleet of SH-60B and SH-60F helicopters.

Two weeks earlier, the Australian government selected the Romeo to fulfill the Australian Defence Force's requirement for a fleet of 24 new-generation multi-role naval combat aircraft. The Commonwealth will acquire the helicopters with associated training and logistical support via the U.S. Government's Foreign Military Sales program. This marked the first procurement of the U.S. Navy's most advanced anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare helicopter by a foreign country.

"In its primary mission roles of anti-submarine warfare and anti-surface warfare, the Romeo continues to exceed our expectations and frankly no other platform out there is even close," said Rear Adm. Paul Grosklags, vice commander, U.S. Navy Naval Air Systems Command. "And the Sikorsky and Lockheed Martin MH-60R/S partnership gives us the flexibility to use these aircraft to take on new mission roles successfully and affordably."

Operational since 2006, the U.S. Navy already has stood up two training and three operational MH-60R squadrons. The MH-60R recently completed its initial deployment onboard the USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74) Battle Group, with a sortie completion rate of 95 percent, and execution of one of the most successful anti-submarine warfare exercises in recent history.

Besides performing its primary mission roles of anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, the multi-role aircraft also can perform search and rescue, troop transport, medical evacuation, ship-to-ship replenishment and humanitarian relief operations.

As the integrator for the aircraft, Lockheed Martin and partner Sikorsky Aircraft, which manufactures the airframe, have co-developed and delivered maritime helicopters for the U.S. Navy for more than 35 years.

Lockheed Martin unveiled the 100th MH-60R maritime helicopter to be delivered to the U.S. Navy during a June 28 ceremony at the company's facility in Owego, N.Y.

Source: Lockheed Martin