NEWS | SA330 Puma in US US Navy

Evergreen to provide Pumas for USNS Spica and USNS Saturn






Military Sealift Command, August 25, 2004 - The U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command has awarded a one-year contract to Evergreen Helicopters of Alaska, Inc., based in Anchorage, Ala., to provide ship-based helicopter support to U.S. Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force ships. The helicopters will provide vertical replenishment services for the ships of Military Sealift Command's Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force. NFAF ships provide fuel, food, ammunition, spare parts and other supplies to U.S. Navy ships at sea -- enabling the Navy fleet to remain deployed and combat-ready.

One detachment, consisting of two Puma 330J helicopters, will deploy aboard MSC combat stores ships USNS Spica and USNS Saturn. The helicopters will transfer pallets of supplies, spare parts, mail and food from the combat stores ships to U.S. Navy ships.

The $6.7 million contract contains five one-year options and an option to add a second detachment. The cumulative value of this contract, if all options are exercised, will be $65.5 million over five years.

Since January 2000, a commercial contract helicopter detachment has provided vertical replenishment services to NFAF ships. Commercial helicopters have demonstrated the ability to perform vertical replenishment missions more efficiently with fewer personnel and at a lower cost than the existing military cargo helicopters. This program enables Navy commanders to reallocate Navy helicopter assets previously used in support of this mission to more critical areas.

"Evergreen Helicopters, Inc., pioneered the vertical replenishment concept with the Navy in 1995," said Ronald Bork, director of corporate contracts for Evergreen. "We are extremely pleased and excited to be back on the job."

MSC operates more than 110 noncombatant, civilian-crewed ships that replenish U.S. Navy ships at sea, chart ocean bottoms, conduct undersea surveillance, strategically preposition combat cargo at sea around the world, and move 95 percent of the military equipment and supplies used by deployed U.S. forces.

Since Sept. 11, 2001, MSC has moved more than 57.8 million square feet of combat cargo and 5.8 billion gallons of fuel worldwide in support of the global war on terrorism.


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SA330 Puma in US US Navy




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