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MH-60 Common Cockpit Receives Instrument Flight Certification

OWEGO, NY, November 7th, 2001 -- The U.S. Navy MH-60 Common Cockpit recently received certification for flight in Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC). This achievement was a culmination of a series of rigorous test plans undertaken by the Lockheed Martin, Naval Air Station and Naval Rotary Wing Test Squadron team, totaling 106 hours and 55 flights by 13 test squadron pilots and operational test and evaluation squadron pilots. Achieving the IMC certification for the MH-60 Common Cockpit was a significant step in preparing the MH-60S for operational evaluation by the U.S. Navy's Operational Test Squadron in October, according to Captain Bill Shannon, Naval Aviation Systems Multi-Mission Helicopter program manager.

"Achieving this certification is an important milestone in getting the MH-60 to our fleet faster, where these aircraft will be filling critical carrier battle group war fighting requirements," Shannon emphasized.

Peter Schultz, Integrated Systems president at Lockheed Martin Systems Integration - Owego stated, "In order to meet this important milestone event it took a closely coordinated effort by the entire NAVAIR, Rotary Wing, Lockheed Martin and Sikorsky Integrated Test Team. We worked together as a highly effective team, met significant challenges and delivered this critical capability."

The IMC certification test plan called for measured performance by test pilots in-flight and post-flight data analysis of the MH-60 Common Cockpit performance on 1,264 separate test events. These events included flights in the National Airspace System and in the low-level, over-water, night environments where the aircraft and cockpit will be operating during U.S. Navy at-sea operations. The MH-60 Common Cockpit performed well within prescribed tolerances utilizing both fully operational and simulated degraded modes of the automatic flight control systems. The certification was achieved September 5, 2001.

Sikorsky Aircraft Company manufactures the MH-60S air vehicle and Lockheed Martin Systems Integration-Owego integrates the Common Cockpit.

Lockheed Martin Systems Integration - Owego is a leader in providing advanced-technology products, services and systems integration solutions for defense, civil and commercial customers worldwide. Systems Integration - Owego employs more than 4,200 people at facilities in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom and is a business segment of Lockheed Martin Corporation with headquarters in Bethesda, Md.

Jan Gottfredsen (607)751-5983, e-mail: janet.gottfredsen@lmco.com
Michael Drake (607)751-2598, e-mail: mike.drake@lmco.com