Integrated Vehicle Health Management Sytem to be incorporated
into UH-60M program, deliveries to begin next year
Goodrich Corporation
has been selected by Sikorsky to provide the Integrated Vehicle
Health Management System (IVHMS) for the U.S. Army's UH-60M
Blackhawk program. Initial deliveries will begin in 2005. If all
options are exercised, the contract is expected to generate in
excess of $100 million in revenue over the life of the program. The
U.S. Army's aviation modernization plan is to upgrade existing
UH-60A and UH-60L aircraft to the UH-60M configuration and purchase
new production UH-60M Blackhawks.
The IVHMS is a
derivative of Goodrich's Integrated Mechanical Diagnostics - Health
and Usage Management (IMD-HUMS) system which has been proven in
Iraq with installations on 30 UH-60L Blackhawk helicopters in the
U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). The IVHMS
monitors the aircraft's engines, transmission and rotors to detect
developing problems and includes a cockpit voice flight data
recorder and crash survivable memory unit. The technology enables
the Army to proactively plan maintenance based on the usage and
condition of "life limited" parts within a helicopter's critical
systems.
"We are delighted to be selected by Sikorsky to be a part of the
Army's newest Blackhawk helicopter program," said JC Williams, Vice
President of Government Systems at Goodrich Fuel & Utility
Systems. This was a team effort with the Army, Sikorsky and
Goodrich, where dedicated people, technology, and experience came
together to provide significant readiness improvements and
maintenance work load reductions for the Blackhawk fleet."
U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (Vt.), who secured congressional
funding for the Iraqi deployment of the IMD-HUMS system, expressed
his pleasure that the Army and Sikorsky have recognized the
benefits this capability brings to the soldiers. "This system is a
solid breakthrough that will greatly enhance the readiness and
safety of the Army's Blackhawk inventory," said Leahy, a senior
member of the Senate Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on
Defense. He added, "I am tremendously proud of the hard work,
ingenuity and dedication of so many of Goodrich's employees,
especially those in Vermont, who have worked so closely with the
Army to ensure that the system meets the service's needs. This
award is good news for Goodrich and for Vermont -- it will help the
soldiers who depend on safe and reliable helicopters. This also
means that Goodrich will be a key partner in the Army's aviation
program for decades to come."
Goodrich has system health monitoring products on the V-22,
CH-53E, AH-1Z, UH-1Y, MH-60S, SH-60B, UH-60A/L and S-92 aircraft.
The IVHMS is based on data driven open architecture and can easily
be applied to any other aircraft. The system compiles data from
electrical, mechanical and airframe systems into a comprehensive
information resource for pilots, maintainers and fleet
operators.