Sikorsky Delivers First Replacement MH-60T Jayhawk Airframe to U.S. Coast Guard

Sikorsky, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin, has delivered the first replacement MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter airframe to the U.S. Coast Guard as part of an extensive service life extension program for the MH-60T fleet.

This marks the beginning of a 10-year initiative aimed at sustaining the operational life of the Coast Guard's existing MH-60T helicopters until the 2040s.

Sikorsky is contracted to provide a total of 45 replacement MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter airframes to the U.S. Coast Guard, signifying the initiation of a prolonged effort to extend the service life of the MH-60T fleet.

The first MH-60T helicopter set to receive the new airframe, composed of integrated nose, cabin, and aft transition structures, is scheduled for reconstruction at the Coast Guard Aviation Logistics Center (ALC) in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, starting in December 2023.

Over the past 33 years, the ALC has been tasked with maintaining and repairing the Jayhawk helicopter fleet, ensuring their operational readiness up to the airframe's maximum limit of 20,000 flight hours.

According to the Coast Guard, the H-60 Jayhawk fleet has been involved in more than 48,300 search and rescue missions since 1990, saving over 11,900 lives and accumulating more than 730,430 flight hours.

Rear Adm. Michael Campbell, Coast Guard Director of Acquisition Programs and Program Executive Officer, stressed the significance of the Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) in preserving the MH-60T's role in executing various Coast Guard missions.

To address the aging fleet's limitations, the Coast Guard ALC plans to replace all dynamic components, digital cockpit, mission systems, and engines on each aircraft. The objective is to rebuild each MH-60T around an entirely new airframe to extend their service life.

Sikorsky is currently operating under a $374 million contract to deliver all 45 MH-60T airframes to the Coast Guard ALC by 2027, maintaining a production rate of 12 units per year. The Coast Guard granted authorization for full rate production, starting with the fourth airframe on Oct. 31, 2023.