The U.S. Navy last week issued a comprehensive 27-page request for information (RFI) for the next VXX helicopter that will possibly begin to replace the
current fleet of “Marine One” Sikorsky VH-3D and VH-60N helicopters in the 2017-2023 time frame. Responding parties have until March 3 to submit a letter of interest and April 19 to submit their final responses to the Naval Air Systems Command.
The RFI follows the termination of the VH-71 presidential helicopter program by the Pentagon last year and the subsequent approval of limited funds ($130 million) for VXX development and “technology capture” of some of the $3.3 billion spent on that program. In 2005, the Navy had awarded the original VXX contract to provide a fleet of 23 presidential helicopters (later dubbed the VH-71) to Lockheed Martin System Integration (prime contractor and systems integration), AgustaWestland (providing the basic three-engine AW101, formerly the EH101 helicopter) and Bell Helicopter (flight-test engineers and maintenance support and eventual final assembly of the aircraft), following a competition with a Sikorsky Aircraft team, which offered its twin-engine S-92.
