SCHUMER JOINS LOCKHEED MARTIN OWEGO EMPLOYEES TO CELEBRATE MAJOR COMBAT RESCUE HELICOPTER CONTRACT – CONTRACT EXPECTED TO SUSTAIN OWEGO WORKFORCE FOR THE NEXT DECADE & CREATE HUNDREDS OF JOBS IN SOUTHERN TIER
Schumer Visits Lockheed Martin Owego to Celebrate $1.28 Billion Contract
Awarded to Sikorsky- Lockheed Martin Team for the Construction of Fleet
of 112 Combat Rescue Helicopters
Helicopters Will Replace Current Outdated Helicopters Battered By Years
Of Combat Damage with New Model Built for Modern Rescue & Evacuation Missions
Schumer: Contract Will Be A Boon To Owego & Southern Tier Economy
Last week, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer joined with employees of Lockheed Martin Owego to celebrate the recent decision by the United States Air Force (USAF) to award a $1.28 billion contract to Sikorsky Aircraft and Lockheed Martin Owego to begin building a new fleet of Combat Rescue Helicopters (CRH). This is the first phase of funding for the Sikorsky-Lockheed Martin team, which will eventually construct 112 CRHs for a total contract amount that could reach $8 billion. This contract is expected to sustain a large portion of the workforce at Lockheed Martin Owego for the next decade and create hundreds of other indirect jobs at local vendors and suppliers. Schumer fought for years to ensure that building a new fleet of CRHs continued to be a priority for the USAF, after the program’s future – and a potential major contract for Lockheed Martin Owego – was brought into doubt due to an internal USAF restructuring debate. On the heels of the recent announcement that a new fleet of Marine One helicopters – used to transport the President of the United States – will also be partly manufactured by Lockheed Martin Owego, this latest announcement firmly cements the Southern Tier as one of the leading helicopter systems design centers in the world, something that is expected to drive job growth for decades to come. Schumer was joined at the rally by Lockheed Martin employees who will be installing the Combat Rescue Helicopters’ Mission Communications Systems, as well as Dale Bennett, Executive Vice President, Mission Systems and Training; and Dan Spoor, Vice President and General Manager, Aviation and Unmanned Systems.
“This contract is another major win for Tioga County and the entire Southern Tier economy, and I will keep fighting to bring more federal contracts to New York so that we can continue to create good-paying, high skilled jobs,” said Schumer. “Our troops put themselves in harm’s way every single day, and we must do all we can to ensure we have the tools and technology at our disposal to keep them safe. These new combat rescue helicopters will play a major role in ensuring that our troops can be evacuated safely from whatever dangerous situation they face, and I am proud that the Southern Tier will have a hand in producing this incredible new aircraft.”
Combat Rescue Helicopters are used by the military to extricate troops from dangerous situations and bring them home safely. Lockheed Martin Owego will be specifically tasked with developing the defensive systems, data links, mission computers, adverse weather sensors, mission planning system and system integration of the CRH. Schumer explained that the new CRH fleet is necessary because the current fleet of rescue aircraft dates back to the 1970s, and is now outdated after years of chronic use and combat damage.
The USAF announced in 2010 that it would replace its aging and increasingly outdated combat rescue helicopter fleet—called the HH-60G PAVE HAWK helicopters—with new aircraft capable of performing demanding personnel recovery missions, including combat rescue and casualty evacuation. Sikorsky and Lockheed Martin Owego then offered a proposed helicopter design – the CRH-60 – that would modernize the USAF’s aging combat rescue helicopter fleet and support all services needed in combat. This new CRH program will eventually replace the aging HH-60G legacy fleet with 112 new combat rescue helicopters. This new aircraft features increased internal fuel capability and additional internal cabin space.
Last year, Schumer visited Lockheed Martin Owego, called the Former Acting Secretary of the Air Force Eric Fanning and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel to publicly support the CRH program, explaining that the current fleet of aircraft for the mission were outdated and the military needed new and more capable helicopters. In January, Schumer announced that, after his continued efforts with top defense officials, the FY2014 Appropriations Bill included funding for the Air Force’s CRH, which is now part of the allocation going to Lockheed Martin. Earlier this year, Schumer urged the current Secretary of the Air Force Deborah James to award this contract and get the program running, as it will help the Air Force recover downed aircrew and isolated personnel in hostile environments.