Sikorsky’s $8.5-11.7B “Multi-Year 8″ H-60 Helicopter Contract
Jun 13, 2013 17:40 UTC by Defense Industry Daily staff
June 13/12: Army FY13. Sikorsky Aircraft in Stratford, CT receives a $244.9 million firm-fixed-price modification to by an unspecified number of UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters, using FY 2013 procurement funds.
It would appear that the Nov 16/12 buy did not fully fund the 71 helicopters, which makes sense given Pentagon cost estimates of around $18 million per machine. $1,049.3 million / 71 = $14.8 million per, which is closer to the mark given the price of engines, avionics, etc. (W58RGZ-12-C-0008, PO 0077).
May 8/13: Thailand. Sikorsky in Stratford, CT an $11.4 million firm-fixed-price contract modification, to buy 1 UH-60M base helicopter and related equipment for Thailand. The cumulative total face value of this multi-year contract is now $4.819 billion. US Army Contracting Command in Redstone Arsenal, AL manages the contract on behalf of their FMS client (W58RGZ-12-C-0008, PO 0055).
April 10/13: FY 2014 Budget. The President releases a proposed budget at last, the latest in modern memory. The Senate and House were already working on budgets in his absence, but the Pentagon’s submission is actually important to proceedings going forward. See ongoing DID coverage.
The UH-60M/ HH-60M budget line is interesting, because it plans for 64 more buys than the base multi-year deal. Instead of 318 helicopters over FY 2012 – 2016, the total becomes 382. The framework is obviously able to handle those planned options, and MYP-8 overall has a top limit of 916 helicopters for the US Army, US Navy and foreign customers.
Dec 11/12: +37 Navy. Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. in Stratford, CT receives a $563.8 million firm-fixed-price contract modification, which funds the Navy’s 2nd Program Year of the MYP-8 multi-year program. Sikorsky tells us that Year 2 buys 18 MH-60S Production Lot 15 helicopters for delivery in 2013-2014, and 19 MH-60R Production Lot 11 Helicopters for delivery in 2014. The contract also covers sustaining engineering, and the usual set of advance materials for the next production lots.
Work will be performed in Stratford, CT, with an estimated completion date of Sept 30/16. One bid was solicited, with 1 bid received (W58RGZ-12-C-0008).
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In July 2012, the US military signed another huge contract with Sikorsky. With production of the Army’s HH/UH-60M, and the Navy’s MH-60S and MH-60R helicopters, all in full swing, there’s no question about the need for future orders. In that environment, multi-year contracts allow efficiencies in purchasing, and security of staffing, throughout Sikorsky’s supply chain. These new helicopter types are also available to Foreign Military Sales class customers, under the American contract’s advantageous pricing and terms. The UH-60M, MH-60S and MH-60R models have already inked export deals, and official requests indicate that more deals are in the pipeline.
The new multi-year 2013-2017 contract could be worth up to $11.7 billion, and follows a 5-year, multi-service “MYP-VII” contract in December 2007. Like its predecessor, it covers UH-60M Black Hawk troop transport and light cargo helicopters, Army HH-60M SAR(Search And Rescue) / MEDEVAC(MEDical EVACuation) helicopters, and the US Navy’s MH-60S and MH-60R Seahawk helicopters.
MYP-VIII: Contract in Context
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MYP-VIII’s base award covers 653 helicopters, including 234 UH-60Ms and 120 HH-60Ms, and could be worth up to $8.5 billion. Like its predecessor, The 5-year agreement also allows the Army and Navy to order as many as 263 more helicopters within the same contractual terms, either for the USA or for export sales. If exercised, the optional purchases could push the contract value as high as $11.7 billion.
This is a price framework agreement rather than a firm schedule. Orders are planned 5 years in advance at the Pentagon, but annual budgets can and do increase or decrease those numbers. Actual production orders will be determined year-by-year over the life of the program, based on American budgets and foreign orders. Under the terms of the contract, Sikorsky will provide helicopters, technical publications, and changes/upgrades within set terms, while its field service representatives provide technical guidance and on-site training.
The need for replacement is certainly clear. According to FY 2011 budget documents, the USA’s oldest UH-60As are now over 30 years old, and the average age of the UH-60A fleet is 23 years. New UH-60Ms have an 18 month lead time from order to delivery, while the more advanced HH-60M for SAR/ MEDEVAC duties has a 24 month lead time.
In the Navy, the helicopters being replaced by the MH-60S armed utility & mine-warfare helicopter, and by the MH-60R strike and anti-submarine helicopter, date from the Reagan years – or earlier. The MH-60S/Rs are replacing the US Navy’s remaining SH-60B/F Seahawks, HH-60 CSAR(Combat Search and Rescue), CH-46D Sea Knights, and HH-1N Huey SAR helicopters.
The minimum production rate to sustain the H-60 line is 18 helicopters per year, while the maximum is listed in FY 2011 US Army budget documents as 150 per year. American orders are large but don’t push that limit, leaving plenty of room for export production.
Contracts & Key Events
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Unless otherwise specified, all order are placed by US Army Contracting Command in Redstone Arsenal, AL to Sikorsky in Stratford, CT.
Note that a contract for helicopters is not the same thing as a contract for flying, ready-to use helicopters. Many contracts omit key “Government Furnished Equipment” items like engines, sensors, etc., which make the cost of a ready-to-use helicopter higher than the base contract. Sikorsky does sometimes buy items that are usually GFE when filling some Foreign Military Sales contracts. There are still some questions about FMS inclusions within MYP-VIII, and some buys whose structure is unclear. Australia’s Letter of Offer and Acceptance for the MH-60R, for instance, was signed in June 2011, and some contracts have begun. DID will attempt to resolve those questions and details going forward.
Finally, the naval MH-60R strike and MH-60S Seahawk utility/ specialty helicopters have a large array of unique features, and a central place within the USN. We will cover purchases under MYP-8 here, but full details regarding the helicopters, their foreign sakes opportunities, and all of their related contracts can be found in “MH-60R/S: The USA’s New Naval Workhorse Helicopters.”
FY 2013
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June 13/12: Army FY13. Sikorsky Aircraft in Stratford, CT receives a $244.9 million firm-fixed-price modification to by an unspecified number of UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters, using FY 2013 procurement funds.
It would appear that the Nov 16/12 buy did not fully fund the 71 helicopters, which makes sense given Pentagon cost estimates of around $18 million per machine. $1,049.3 million / 71 = $14.8 million per, which is closer to the mark given the price of engines, avionics, etc. (W58RGZ-12-C-0008, PO 0077).
May 8/13: Thailand. Sikorsky in Stratford, CT an $11.4 million firm-fixed-price contract modification, to buy 1 UH-60M base helicopter and related equipment for Thailand. The cumulative total face value of this multi-year contract is now $4.819 billion. US Army Contracting Command in Redstone Arsenal, AL manages the contract on behalf of their FMS client (W58RGZ-12-C-0008, PO 0055).
April 10/13: FY 2014 Budget. The President releases a proposed budget at last, the latest in modern memory. The Senate and House were already working on budgets in his absence, but the Pentagon’s submission is actually important to proceedings going forward. See ongoing DID coverage.
The UH-60M/ HH-60M budget line is interesting, because it plans for 64 more buys than the base multi-year deal. Instead of 318 helicopters over FY 2012 – 2016, the total becomes 382. The framework is obviously able to handle those planned options, and MYP-8 overall has a top limit of 916 helicopters for the US Army, US Navy and foreign customers.
Dec 11/12: +37 Navy. Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. in Stratford, CT receives a $563.8 million firm-fixed-price contract modification, which funds the Navy’s 2nd Program Year of the MYP-8 multi-year program. Sikorsky tells us that Year 2 buys 18 MH-60S Production Lot 15 helicopters for delivery in 2013-2014, and 19 MH-60R Production Lot 11 Helicopters for delivery in 2014. The contract also covers sustaining engineering, and the usual set of advance materials for the next production lots.
Work will be performed in Stratford, CT, with an estimated completion date of Sept 30/16. One bid was solicited, with 1 bid received (W58RGZ-12-C-0008).
Nov 16/12: +71 Army. Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. in Stratford, CT received an $804.4 million firm-fixed-price contract modification. Sikorsky confirms that this fully funds Year 2 of MYP-8: 47 UH-60M and 24 HH-60M Black Hawk helicopters, plus associated engineering, program management, provisioning, technical publications, and support.
Work will be performed in Stratford, CT with an estimated completion date of June 30/14. One bid was solicited, with 1 bid received (W58RGZ-12-C-0008).
FY 2012
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Sept 25/12: +22 Army. A $242.2 million firm-fixed-price contract modification to buy UH-60M Plus-Up Helicopters, which are over and above the yearly baseline buys under MYP-8. Sikorsky confirms that the contract covers 22 helicopters, but doesn’t include support.
Work will be performed in Stratford, CT and will run until Sept 16/16. One bid was solicited, with 1 bid received (W58RGZ-12-C-0008).
Sept 25/12: +18 USAF. A $203.4 million firm-fixed-price contract modification, which Sikorsky confirms will buy 18 UH-60M helicopters for the USAF. This appears to be part of the USAF’s Operational Loss Replacement (OLR) program for their HH-60H Pave Hawk combat search and rescue fleet.
Work will be performed in Stratford, CT, with an estimated completion date of Sept 30/16. One bid was solicited, with 1 bid received (W58RGZ-12-C-0008).
Sept 18/12: UH-60 CPTD. Sikorsky announced the award of a Combat Tempered Platform Demonstration (CTPD) contract from the U.S. Army’s Aviation Applied Technology Directorate (AATD). This program will builds upon previous work by Sikorsky Innovations to develop key technologies including: a zero-vibration system, adaptive flight control laws, advanced fire management, a durable main rotor, a more damage tolerant airframe, and better “full-spectrum crashworthiness.” Asked about the program, Sikorsky said that:
“We currently have nothing slated for the next two block upgrades that come from the Combat Tempered Platform Demonstration program. We are testing how components play together.”
Sikorsky Innovations will have more than 15 partnering companies, including Lord Corporation, Phyre Technologies, and Firetrace Aerospace.
July 18/12: #500. Sikorsky delivers the 500th H-60M helicopter since December 2007, which divides up as 400 UH-60Ms (incl. 73 exported) and 100 HH-60Ms. The planned production run through 2026 is 1,375: 956 UH-60Ms, and 419 HH-60M SAR/MEDEVAC helicopters. Sikorsky.
UH-60M #500
July 11/12: MYP-8. Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. in Stratford, CT receives a firm-fixed-price umbrella contract to buy and provide initial support for up to 916 UH/HH/MH-60 Helicopters for the US Army and US Navy, with Foreign Military Sales options. The Pentagon announces the initial total as $2.828 billion, but Sikorsky puts the base contract’s total value at $8.5 billion. Sikorsky also breaks up the MYP-8 contract into an $8.5 billion base for 653 helicopters, plus options for up to 263 more that could push the contract as high as $11.7 billion. Interestingly, Sikorsky adds that:
“To reach the full baseline value of $8.5 billion, the services are ordering aircraft in the base agreement to be sold via the U.S. Government’s Foreign Military Sales program. These aircraft include Foreign Military Sale (FMS) UH-60M aircraft for several allied countries and MH-60R SEAHAWK anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare helicopters for the Royal Australian Navy… BLACK HAWK and SEAHAWK aircraft deliveries under the new contract will begin this month.”
Those totals compare to $7.4 billion for 537 helicopters in MYP-7, plus 263 additional options that Sikorsky said could push the contract to $11.6 billion for 800 helicopters. Orders ended up falling well short of that total, but the options were there.
Recent DSCA requests indicate that interest in Sikorsky’s helicopters is rising, so MYP-8 looks set to produce more machines. Work will be performed in Stratford, CT, but the helicopters themselves are made on 4 separate production lines located in West Palm Beach, FL, and in its Stratford, CT final assembly facility. The contract is announced by the Pentagon as running until Sept 30/16 (end of FY 2016). Sikorsky, on the other hand, cites December 2017 as the end date. Subsequent Pentagon documents continue to insist on FY 2012 – 2016, even though MYP-7 technically ended on Dec 31/12.
The bid was solicited through the Internet, with 1 bid received by US Army Contracting Command in Redstone Arsenal, AL (W58RGZ-12-C-0008). Since only Sikorsky can make those helicopters, it isn’t surprising that only 1 firm responded. See also Sikorsky.
MYP-VIII Framework
Feb 13/12: The USA’s FY 2013 budget documents include a proposal for the next multi-year deal. Helicopters bought will be in basically the same configuration as MYP-VII machines, and overall savings vs. single year buys add up to $850.3 million:
“This proposed Multiyear Procurement (MYP) covers the purchase of 318 UH-60M/HH-60M BLACK HAWK aircraft and 193 Navy MH-60 helicopter airframes in FY 2012 through FY 2016 under a single, five year fixed price type contract. The MYP strategy is structured to achieve $850.3 Million (TY$) in cost savings over the five year period with $502.9M realized in the Army Aircraft Procurement Appropriation and $347.4M in the Navy Aircraft Procurement Appropriation. This proposed Joint Service multiyear contract for the procurement of Army UH-60M/HH-60M aircraft and Navy MH-60R/S aircraft follows a currently executing (FY 2007 through FY 2011) Joint Service MYP between the Army, Navy, and Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation for H-60 helicopters. The UH-60M/HH-60M,MH-60S, and MH-60R aircraft .being procured on the proposed multiyear contract are essentially the same configuration as those being procured on the current FY07-11 multiyear contract. The MYP will include a Variation in Quantity Clause allowing for minor fluctuation of aircraft quantity and provide baseline pricing for potential Foreign Military Sales. The U.S. Army and Navy met SECDEF certification requirements on March 1, 2011.”
Additional Readings
- Sikorsky – UH-60M BLACK HAWK Helicopter
- Global Security – UH-60M [UH-60L+]
- USAF – HH-60G Pave Hawk. Used for Combat Search & Rescue. The HH-60M is an Army variant with different equipment.
- Rotor & Wing (Oct 1/04) – Modern Medevac Mobilized. Covers experiences with the UH-60Q and HH-60L models, and planning for the HH-60M. A good illustration of what the new capabilities mean on the battlefield.
- DID FOCUS – MH-60R/S: The USA’s New Naval Workhorse Helicopters
- Sikorsky – SEAHAWK(R) Helicopter. MH-60S and MH-60R naval helicopters, whose base airframe are also purchased under MYP-VII.
- Lockheed Martin – MH-60R. Lockheed Martin is responsible for the MH-60R’s unique equipment.
- Naval Technology – MH-60R Seahawk Multimission Naval Helicopter, USA
- Naval Technology – MH-60S Knighthawk Multi-Mission Naval Helicopter, USA. Technically, it’s a Seahawk not a Knighthawk, though that was widely believed to be its distinguishing name when it was first fielded.
- DID – Sikorsky’s $7.4-11.6B “Multi-Year VII” H-60 Helicopter Contract
- DID – Combat Rescue Helicopter competition, the 2nd attempt at replacing HH-60Ms.
Tags: myp-viii, myp-8
