Final Assembly Begins Of First Trainer For New Combat Rescue Chopper - Lockheed Martin

Final Assembly Begins of First Trainer For New Combat Rescue Chopper - Lockheed Martin

Final assembly of the first HH-60W Combat Rescue Helicopter Weapons System and Operational Flight Trainer is underway, the defense contractor Lockheed Martin announced in a press release on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th September, 2018) Final assembly of the first HH-60W Combat Rescue Helicopter Weapons System and Operational Flight Trainer is underway, the defense contractor Lockheed Martin announced in a press release on Tuesday.

"The Weapons System Trainer will be based at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, home of the formal HH-60W training unit," the release said. "The Operational Flight Trainer will be at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, site of the first operational unit."

The current contract with the US Air Force calls for delivery of nine HH-60W helicopters, six aircrews, maintenance training and instructional courseware, with the system's deployment expected in 2020, the release explained.

The Air Force plans to eventually purchase 112 HH-60W choppers to replace the aging H-60G Pave Hawk fleet, which performs critical combat search and rescue and personnel recovery operations for all US military services, the release noted.