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NEWS | FRCE US Fleet Readiness Center East US Navy

Navy Depot to Maintain New Air Force Helicopters

US Navy Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) at MCAS Cherry Point, NC selected as depot source of repair (DSOR) for US Air Force new helicopters HH-60W Jolly Green II and MH-139A Grey Wolf

Current projections place the start date for the new work in fiscal year 2028





Navy Depot to Maintain New Air Force Helicopters
US Navy, March 10, 2023 - MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, NC by Heather Wilburn - Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) recently secured designation as the Depot Source of Repair (DSOR) for 81 major structural and dynamic components of the U.S. Air Force MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopter, the planned replacement for the UH-1N Huey

FRCE performs maintenance, repair and overhaul of the legacy UH-1N platform at its North Carolina Global TransPark detachment in Kinston. Current projections place the start date for the new work in fiscal year 2028.

“I’m proud that our counterparts at the Air Force have recognized the caliber of service FRC East provides, and have chosen to expand our relationship by selecting our depot to support the MH-139A through sustainment of many of the platform’s components,” said FRCE Commanding Officer Capt. James M. Belmont. “Our workforce has long maintained a stellar reputation for producing the best quality products for our nation’s military aviators, and securing workload on emerging platforms like the Grey Wolf will allow us to continue that tradition for many years to come.

“Our selection as the DSOR for these components is a direct reflection of the ability and commitment of the FRCE workforce,” Belmont continued. “Our people continue to be our greatest asset as we shape the future of the depot.”

The planned workload includes major components like gearboxes, rotor blades, hubs, actuators and engines, said Del Bennett, capability establishment lead within the Capability Management Branch of FRCE’s Central Coordination Department. The Air Force plans to use the dual-piloted, multi-mission aircraft to support security for intercontinental ballistic missile sites, and transport U.S. government and visiting officials and security forces, he explained.

The Air Force has not yet fielded the Grey Wolf platform, which is currently in the engineering and manufacturing development phase of the defense acquisition process and is undergoing military unit testing. Bennett said current data does not provide final projections on the effort required to sustain the platform; however, depot officials are planning for a substantial workload.

“This DSOR provides FRC East with the lion’s share of the major structural and dynamic component workload,” he explained. “Because the platform is new, we don’t yet have projections on the final number of labor hours the component work will involve, but we know that it will be significant.”

Depot Activation Maintenance Working Groups will begin operations this summer in order to ensure the FRCE’s facilities and workforce are prepared when the first Grey Wolf components arrive. Bennett said the lengthy process guarantees that all logistical elements are in place to support sustainment of the new workload, including technical data from the manufacturer; required facilities and infrastructure; necessary support and test equipment; supply support; and artisan training on maintenance, repair and overhaul processes.

With the maintenance work that FRCE’s UH-1N line does at the Global TransPark detachment, pursuing the workload related to the legacy aircraft’s replacement was a natural fit, Bennett said. The depot’s long history of providing quality products for military aviators helped secure the nod.

“The Air Force Program Office selected FRC East based on our substantial knowledge and experience in the maintenance, repair and overhaul of helicopter, tilt-rotor and fixed wing airframes and components, including engines, drive shafts, rotor heads, fuel pumps and electronics,” Bennett said. “We are the Department of Defense Vertical Lift Center of Excellence, and that shows in the breadth and depth of understanding our artisans, engineers, logisticians and support staff have of military aircraft.

“The selection process is pretty competitive when you’re considering these major aircraft platforms for all their workload, and the Air Force has been very happy with the service that we have provided on the UH-1N platform,” he continued. “Their support of FRC East and the work we’ve done on those aircraft is now flowing down through other programs, and it gives us a competitive edge.”

FRCE is North Carolina's largest maintenance, repair, overhaul and technical services provider, with more than 4,000 civilian, military and contract workers. Its annual revenue exceeds $1 billion. The depot provides service to the fleet while functioning as an integral part of the greater U.S. Navy; Naval Air Systems Command; and Commander, Fleet Readiness Centers.

FRCE selected as depot source of repair for new Air Force combat rescue helicopter


The U.S. Air Force recently selected Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) as the stateside depot source of repair (DSOR) for the HH-60W Jolly Green II, the air service’s new combat rescue platform. FRCE will conduct all helicopter airframe programmed depot maintenance for Jolly Green II aircraft located within the continental United States, which represents about 70% of the platform’s total expected workload.

“I’m honored the Air Force has selected FRC East to support a core platform that performs critical search and rescue operations,” said FRCE Commanding Officer Capt. James M. Belmont. “Since the depot began operations in 1943, we have been a vital asset to national defense, and new workload like the Jolly Green II will allow us to continue to support our warfighters well into the future.

“It’s exciting to see the future of FRC East come into focus as we add capabilities that will enable us to support military aviation readiness for years to come,” Belmont continued. “FRC East is a pillar of the eastern North Carolina community and economy, and the success our team has seen in securing new workload on emerging platforms only helps cement our reputation as the premier vertical-lift depot within the Department of Defense.”

Matt McCann, director of the Business Development Division within FRCE’s Central Coordination Department, said the first Jolly Green II is scheduled to arrive at FRCE for maintenance in fiscal year 2027. Once programmed maintenance operations for the aircraft have ramped up to full capacity, the projected workload represents at least 210,000 direct labor hours annually – the equivalent of more than 100 full-time positions. Adding that number of jobs to the depot’s workforce would have a substantial impact on the local economy, McCann said.

“The HH-60W represents new workload above and beyond what FRC East currently maintains, rather than being a replacement for existing aircraft workload that is scheduled to sun down in the future,” McCann said. “There is a wide range of possibilities on what the final direct labor hours will look like annually, but this additional workload stands to bring a significant financial benefit to the area.”

The dual-piloted, multi-engine vertical takeoff and landing aircraft is the Air Force’s replacement for the HH-60G Pave Hawk, and is used to perform critical combat search and rescue and personnel recovery operations, said Del Bennett, capability establishment lead within the Capability Management Branch of FRCE’s Central Coordination Department.

The Jolly Green combat rescue platform has a long and storied history, running from 1967-2008. From the Vietnam War though the Global War on Terror, the aircraft was deployed in high-stakes scenarios to rescue individuals in dangerous or remote areas that weren’t accessible by ground transportation.

The HH-3E Jolly Green Giant and HH-53 Super Jolly Green Giant – and later the HH-60G Pave Hawk – were used to rescue downed Airmen and other service members in hostile or denied territory, day or night, in adverse weather conditions, with threats ranging from terrorist to chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear.

The aircraft were called upon to conduct humanitarian missions, civil search and rescue, and medical evacuations. The Jolly Greens and Pave Hawk were welcome sights to those awaiting their arrival, and the Jolly Green II will fulfill these functions with improved communication, navigation and defense systems, along with an upgrade in weapon systems.

FRCE’s work on the platform will include disassembly, inspection, repair, assembly, ground check and flight testing, Bennett said. Commercial repair operations will provide the same services for HH-60W aircraft located outside the continental United States.

In order to get FRCE and its workforce ready to support the new platform, a Depot Maintenance Activation Working Group will begin operation soon. The working group will focus on ensuring the capabilities needed to support the platform are in place, and artisans are trained and qualified to perform required tasks prior to the first Jolly Green II’s arrival, Bennett said.

“We have started laying the groundwork to be able to support the platform with regard to infrastructure, logistics and maintenance,” he said. “There’s a lot of effort that goes into making sure FRC East can hit the ground running when it’s time to induct that first airframe. It’s important that everything is in place so we can turn these aircraft around and get them back on mission as quickly and efficiently as possible, while still ensuring the best possible quality product for the warfighter.”

FRCE’s commitment to quality played a large part in the depot securing the new HH-60W workload, Bennett added.

“FRC East has a proven track record of providing service to the Air Force with the UH-1N platform, and they’ve been very happy with the performance of our production line,” he said. “They know we’re reliable. They know we produce a quality product. They know we can deliver on time. They know we’re constantly in pursuit of process improvements to ensure the quality of the product stays high while we strive to reduce cycle time.

“Securing a DSOR designation is a very competitive process, and they take into account a lot of factors. It’s not just a matter of drawing a name out of a hat,” Bennett continued. “The work FRC East has done on the UH-1N has made the depot a name the Air Force can depend on, and it’s a real testament to the skill and dedication of the FRC East workforce that they have placed their trust in us.”

FRCE is North Carolina's largest maintenance, repair, overhaul and technical services provider, with more than 4,000 civilian, military and contract workers. Its annual revenue exceeds $1 billion. The depot provides service to the fleet while functioning as an integral part of the greater U.S. Navy; Naval Air Systems Command; and Commander, Fleet Readiness Centers.


Navy Depot to Maintain New Air Force Helicopters
Boeing/Leonardo MH-139A Grey Wolf


Navy Depot to Maintain New Air Force Helicopters
Sikorsky HH-60W Jolly Green II





Location : US MCAS Cherry Point

  See also


FRCE US Fleet Readiness Center East US Navy
HH-60W Jolly Green II in US US Air Force
MH-139A Grey Wolf in US US Air Force




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