The Air Force will pursue two separate competitions—both full and open—to acquire a new personnel recovery helicopter and future utility helicopter, service officials announced, April 25, 2011. The new recovery chopper will replace the service's aging and heavily utilized HH-60G Pave Hawk, shown at left. The new utility platform will supplant the Vietnam War-era UH-1N Huey, at right, which performs mission like protecting the nation's ICBM fields. The request for proposal for the HH-60 recapitalization platform is anticipated in 2012. The service aims to replace 112 Pave Hawks. The draft solicitation for the Common Vertical Lift Support Platform that will succeed the Huey is scheduled for release in summer 2011.
Air Force photos by A1C Benjamin Wiseman and SrA. John Parie
