H-60 Multi-Mission Helicopter Program’s (PMA-299) Special Projects Team developed a unique, and expedited, acquisition strategy leveraging U.S. and Australian “mateship” to complete the first-ever U.S. Navy aviation Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) in the Indo-Pacific region. An essential piece to readiness is the ability to address emergent MRO requirements outside of normal domestic sites. Broadening the MH-60R MRO facilities and infrastructure around the globe, specifically in today’s world climate, allows for a wider maintenance reach in time of conflict while increasing cooperation with our allies. This century-long alliance remains advantageous in this region.
Capt. William Hargreaves, PMA-299 program manager said “Demonstrating successful PMI on a U.S. Navy MH-60R in Australia is a testament to our two nation’s shared trust and commitments in our century-long partnership with the Royal Australian Navy. Achieving this maintenance event expands our aircraft’s footprint ensuring the fleet is ready to fight tonight.”
U.S. and Australian forces have fought together in every significant conflict since World War I. Showcasing the allegiance and confidence between these allies by entering into an agreement for maintenance and inspection further deepens the “mateship” connection.
Twelve years ago, PMA-299 and Royal Australian Navy’s were further united in a foreign military sale for MH-60 Romeo helicopters.
Sikorsky Aircraft Australia Limited (SAAL), a subcontractor to Lockheed Martin Rotary Mission Systems, began the PMI in late-October 2022 in Australia, and completed two months under the projected 10-month timeline. PMI on the MH-60R included material acceptance and inspection, repairs, and an aircraft functional check flight. The U.S. Navy will conduct post-PMI flight checks upon arrival at Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM)41, the U.S. Navy's West Coast Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS) in San Diego, CA.
Commodore Darren Rae, Royal Australian Navy Director General Navy Aviation, Aircrew Training and Commons said “The principal aim of this activity was to demonstrate to the U.S. the capability of Australian industry and the pathway available to perform maintenance, repair and overhaul of this helicopter in our region. This demonstration of Australian industry’s support to U.S. Navy helicopter maintenance is a hallmark for the steady progress being made in the U.S.-Australian Alliance.”
Strengthening the U.S.’ partnerships and ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific region is critical to the nation’s security and to its allies; partnerships like this help defend common interests.
“We have made strides in this PMI demonstration,” said Hargreaves. “We now have the ability to rapidly address emergent MRO requirements, if necessary, outside of standard activity sites during contingency operations.”
The successful PMI, deeply rooted in innovative acquisition strategies and contract execution, also hailed a NAVAIR Commander’s Award in May 2023 and an Australian Day Honours Award in January 2023.
The NAVAIR Commander’s Awards recognize outstanding teams and individuals across NAVAIR who have demonstrated creativity, agility and accountability in delivering the capability the fleet needs, on time, at a price we can afford.
Hargreaves recognized his team’s achievement and went on to say “winning the NAVAIR Commanders Award for this effort truly validated the team’s efforts to further strengthen ties between the two countries and entrusting them to complete the PMI as if on U.S. soil.”
Similarly, and in recognition of the significance of this milestone, Australia’s former MH-60R Seahawk Romeo Helicopter Assurance Program Co-Lead, Commander Andrew Newman, was presented an Australia Day Honours Award in January 2023 of a Conspicuous Service Cross for his outstanding achievements and devotion to pursuing this activity.
PMA-299 provides full-spectrum, world-wide support for the U.S. Navy’s and international partners’ MH-60R and MH-60S helicopters and user communities.
The MH-60R Seahawk is the U.S. Navy’s essential submarine hunter and anti-surface warfare helicopter enabling anti-submarine and surface warfare.
Additional PMIs in Australia are possible. Once the aircraft has returned to the U.S., the USN will review all after actions fur future potential contract agreements.
Work on US Navy helicopter breaks ground
Australia Dept.Defence, June 26, 2023 - The first ever deep maintenance activity on a US Navy MH-60R Seahawk ‘Romeo’ helicopter in Australia has been completed at Sikorsky Australia’s facilities in Nowra, NSW.
The US Navy aircraft arrived in Australia in October 2022 to undergo the deep maintenance activity, known as a planned maintenance interval (PMI), which was completed this month.
Assistant Defence Minister Matt Thistlethwaite marked the milestone with Australian and US Defence and industry representatives at the Sikorsky Australia facilities on June 26.
Commodore Darren Rae, Director General Navy Aviation and Aircrew Training, said the induction of the US Navy MH-60R into Australian facilities was a “strategically significant milestone” for Australia and the United States, who share priorities to strengthen supply chain resilience in the Indo-Pacific.
“The principal aim of this activity was to demonstrate to the US the capability of Australian industry and the pathway available to perform maintenance, repair and overhaul of this helicopter in our region,” Commodore Rae said.
“This demonstration of Australian industry’s support to US Navy helicopter maintenance is a hallmark for the steady progress being made in the US-Australian alliance.”
Captain William Hargreaves, US Navy H-60 Multi-Mission Helicopters Program Manager, said the activity was important in strengthening ties between the two countries and allowing Australian industry to conduct maintenance as if the aircraft was on US soil.
“Demonstrating successful PMI on a US Navy MH-60R in Australia is a testament to our two nations’ shared trust and commitments in our century-long partnership with the Royal Australian Navy,” Captain Hargreaves said.
“Achieving this maintenance event expands our aircraft’s footprint, ensuring the fleet is ready to fight tonight.”
Sikorsky Australia, a Lockheed Martin company, is the Royal Australian Navy’s industry partner for delivering comprehensive deep-maintenance services and intermediate-level maintenance support for the Romeo helicopter.
Commodore Rae said Australia “has a world-class industry capability in Nowra that continues to be highly successful in supporting the Royal Australian Navy’s fleet of Romeo helicopters”.
“The Sikorsky Australia team can now add the highly successful completion of this US Navy Romeo deep maintenance activity to its list of achievements,” he said.
Lockheed Martin Australia and New Zealand’s Chief Executive Warren McDonald said: “Sikorsky Australia was honoured to be entrusted by the Australian-US navies as their industry partner to execute this inaugural proof-of-concept service on a US Navy MH-60R Seahawk ‘Romeo’.
“Sikorsky Australia’s skilled aircraft maintenance engineers have completed 46 PMIs on the Royal Australian Navy’s MH-60Rs. This experience combined with the Romeo configuration alignment and interchangeable maintenance procedures between our two navies enabled seamless integration of the US Navy Romeo into Sikorsky Australia’s maintenance program.
“Congratulations to the team, the Australian-US navies and Sikorsky Australia, on this exemplar PMI achievement. It underlines our shared commitment to advancing military interoperability, strengthening the MH-60R global supply chain, and showcases Australia’s world-class industrial capability to sustain the most advanced maritime helicopter, the MH-60R.”
The collaborative effort and dedication from teams in the Australian and US Navies have been recognised at the highest levels this year.
Australia’s former MH-60R Seahawk Romeo Helicopter Assurance Program Co-Lead, Commander Andrew Newman, was presented with a Conspicuous Service Cross in January 2023 for his outstanding achievements and devotion to pursuing this activity.
Similarly, the US Navy’s PMA-299 Special Project Team was awarded the NAVAIR Commander’s Business Innovation award in May 2023 for their innovation, attention to detail and expertise, resulting in the first ever US Navy aviation deep maintenance activity by an Australian industrial partner.
Nowra See also |
MH-60R Seahawk in
Fleet Air Arm (RAN) Seahawk in
US Navy Sikorsky Helitech 
