Smiths Aerospace awarded SH-60 contract

Smiths Aerospace has been awarded a contract to supply the Enhanced Flight Data Recorder (EFDR) for the SH-60K Seahawk Helicopter. The EFDR will be installed on all new production Japanese SH60s beginning in August 2004.

The initial contract is valued at more than $6 million, with a potential production of more than $30 million. 50 new production aircraft are included in the initial Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force plan and a further 50 aircraft production is anticipated. Future retrofit into the existing SH-60J and UH60J fleet of more than 200 aircraft may extend this application.

The SH-60K EFDR represents the first introduction of Health Usage and Monitoring Systems (HUMS) into Japan. The system will be used to provide improved safety, reduced maintenance and operational cost, and enhanced aircraft readiness. It provides cockpit voice recorder (CVR), flight data recorder (FDR), digital data acquisition unit (DAU), rotor track and balance (RTB), vibration monitoring, engine monitoring structures monitoring and aircraft usage tracking. The Enhanced Flight Data Recorder is a derivative of the GenHUMS systems developed and flying in the UK on Chinook CH-47, SeaKing, Puma and Lynx helicopters. Smiths has aircraft monitoring systems installed on 11 aircraft types in Japan.

The SH-60 Seahawk is a maritime helicopter tasked for ocean surveillance, submarine detection and tracking, surface surveillance and fleet protection. It is built for the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force (MSDF) by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Nagoya, Japan under a co-operative arrangement with Sikorsky.

Under the SH60K EFDR Program, Kanto Aircraft Instrument will manufacture the HUMS equipment under license from Smiths and will provide local technical support. Final assembly and delivery will be from Kanto's facility in Fujisawa, Japan.

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