Curtiss-Wright to update US Navy Sikorsky helicopters

The use of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS)-based MOSA solutions and best practices will deliver cost-effective capabilities and support more economical and timely upgrades of the helicopter’s avionics systems. Curtiss-Wright’s selection on this upgrade program is representative of its ability to modernize legacy military platforms rapidly and cost-effectively with open-standards solutions. The initial contract is valued at US$24 million. The estimated lifetime value of the contract is $70 million.

“We are very pleased that Lockheed Martin selected us to provide our COTS single board computer and video processing solutions to support the upgrade of the mission computer and flight management computer on the US Navy’s MH-60R/S helicopter fleet,” said Chris Wiltsey, Senior Vice President and General Manager at Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions.

“This agreement, which further strengthens the long and successful relationship we have with Lockheed Martin, highlights Curtiss-Wright’s ability to enhance interoperability and improve cost efficiencies with electronics systems that adhere to the DoD’s mandate for a modular open architecture approach.”

Enhanced capabilities for future imaging sensors

The MH-60R/S MC/FMC upgrade will bring advanced display graphics capabilities to this important helicopter platform, providing compatibility with existing imaging and display systems and offering enhanced capabilities for future imaging sensors and high-resolution displays. The COTS modules also enable integration of Curtiss-Wright’s enhanced trusted and secure computing features to ensure system resiliency and secure operation in response to cyber-attacks.

This follows on from news that the US Coast Guard recently awarded the MH-60T sustainability contract to Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky facility in Troy, Alabama.