Army's VIP Helicopters Get an Upgrade from ARINC Engineering Services

November 28, 2006

Annapolis, Maryland—ARINC Engineering Services, LLC and its teaming partner Sabreliner Corporation have completed extensive improvements on two of the four U.S. Army helicopters used to transport VIPs at the nation’s capital.

The helicopters, operated by the Army’s 12th Aviation Battalion stationed at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, are on call to support the Military District of Washington and National Capital Region with priority air transport. ARINC is upgrading all four aircraft with modern flight navigation systems and interior passenger amenities, under a contract awarded under the Army’s Rapid Response to Critical System Requirements (R2CSR) program.

Two of the aircraft have now been delivered, and the other two will be completed in the first half of 2007. All four are Sikorsky VH-60 Black Hawks, similar to the U.S. Presidential helicopter. They range in age up to 25 years.

“Our VIP transport mission in Washington has a high profile and heavy workload,” stated Don Neeley, Aircraft Maintenance Chief, 12th Aviation Battalion. “ARINC helped us to streamline our procurement for this work, and we fully expect they will complete the VH-60 fleet upgrade with their Sabreliner teammate in a timely and efficient manner.”

The VIP helicopters are receiving new state-of-the-art flight management systems (FMS) and cockpit displays to enhance flight operations and safety. Air conditioning will be increased in the cockpit, and noise dampening will be added overall. Interior cabin modifications will include more comfortable seating for passengers, better storage, and an operational design that reduces maintenance efforts significantly. The work is being performed at Sabreliner’s facilities in Perryville, Missouri.

“ARINC is honored to be involved in this vital work supporting the mission of the Army’s 12th Aviation Battalion,” stated David Douglas, Director, Fleet Services. “We bring to this job extensive experience working on UH-60 series helicopters for the other armed services. In addition, we recently completed successful work with Sabreliner on sustainment parts and tooling for the Navy’s Orion P3 anti-submarine aircraft.”

The Army 12th Aviation Battalion’s mission for the VIP helicopters is to provide priority air transport to Congress, foreign dignitaries, and senior leadership of the Department of Defense and other federal and state agencies in the National Capital Region. The specially modified VH-60 Black Hawks are the only aircraft of their type in the Army.

Sabreliner, original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of the popular Sabreliner business and military jet, is now a leading specialist in sustainment of aging aircraft and a qualified small business. For more information, visit the Sabreliner web site at www.sabregov.com.

ARINC Incorporated is the world leader in transportation communications and systems engineering. The company develops and operates communications and information processing systems and provides systems engineering and integration solutions to five key industries: airports, aviation, defense, government, and surface transportation. Founded to provide reliable and efficient radio communications for the airlines, ARINC is headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland, and operates key regional offices in London and Singapore, with over 3,200 employees worldwide. ARINC is ISO 9001:2000 certified.

Release: 06-84

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