Reporters at the Air Warfare Symposium today got a tour of a full-size mock up of AgustaWestland and Lockheed Martin’s US101 entry in the search for a CSAR-X aircraft. Company officials argue that the US101 is the logical choice for Air Force Special Operations Command HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter replacement program. They say the US101 already has proven itself in the combat search and rescue mission. Stephen Ramsey, executive VP of Helicopter Systems for Lockheed Martin, said Thursday morning that the US101 already has accumulated more than 10,000 desert landings without incident with the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force in Southwest Asia. He maintains the aircraft has great survivability as well, since it is the only CSAR-X entrant with three engines and employs the “curtain effect”—a unique rotor design that prevents brownout and keeps dust from enveloping the aircraft during a desert landing.
While the Pentagon has signaled its intent to scale technology, field new systems faster, and work more with nontraditional vendors, a new report identifies persistent manufacturing capacity, resourcing, workforce, and modernization challenges that could hinder its ability to deliver on those goals.