First MH-60T for US Coast Guard
On 30 November 2023, Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation delivered the first of 45 MH-60T Jayhawk airframes to the US Coast Guard (USCG).
The new helicopters will all be replacement airframes and this first delivery will start a 10-year programme to extend the service life of the existing Jayhawk fleet, and continue flying life-saving missions into the 2040s. The first airframe will be rebuilt at the Coast Guard Aviation Logistics Centre (ALC) in Elizabeth City (NC) starting in December 2023. The value of the contract is USD 374 million.
Over a period of more than 30 years, the Elizabeth City ALC has maintained and repaired Jayhawks. The MH-60T fleet is approaching its useful life limit of 20,000 flight hours, with an average of 16,000 hours per aircraft.
Delivery of the new airframes to the Coast Guard ALC, consisting of nose, cabin and aft transition structures combined as a single assembly, will run through 2027 at a rate of twelve per year.
Unlike the US Army Apache programme, the Jayhawks will not receive new serials. This was confirmed by the USCG. However it is most likely the helicopters will have a new construction number.
Credit photo: Sikorsky Aircraft Corp