Improving the capability of Helicopters’ Customer fleet
Mid-Life and Capability Sustainment Upgrades are a key element of Leonardo Helicopters ongoing commitent to its customers. Cost-effective solutions are designed to extend the operational life and improve mission effectiveness of in-service aircrafts. A typical programme introduces modern avionics and mission systems to resolve obsolescence and enhances reliability, maintainability and availability.
Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU) Programs
Cormorant MLU and Augmentation Program
This Program proposed by ‘Team Cormorant’ (led by Leonardo and IMP Aerospace and Defence with CAE, GE Canada and Rockwell Collins Canada ) aims to upgrade and expand the Royal Canadian Air Force’s Rotary Wing Search and Rescue Cormorant fleet currently composed by14 Cormorant helicopters, and the augmentation through EH101-519 helicopters.
The benefits
The CMLU will address obsolescence through commonality of equipment, reestablish MOB Trenton with CMLU helicopters to sustain a robust all weather SAR capability across Canada, reduce the cost of ownership, while increasing reliability, capability and safety.
The objective
The CMLU will sustain a robust helicopter all-weather SAR capability across Canada, including the North though to 2040 and beyond. A Full Mission Simulator (FMS) together with state-of-the-art training devices are also proposed.
The proposal
The CMLU presents a low risk and cost effective solution for Canada. It provides capability improvements from the new Norwegian AW101 SAR helicopter to enhance overall mission effectiveness, incorporating the latest avionic and mission systems, advanced radars, latest technology sensors, vision enhancement and tracking systems.
Lynx Family Mid-Life Upgrade Program
The Lynx Family of Helicopters has been continuously developed over the last 40 years (15 Nations) to provide a multi-role, multi-mission capability in both Maritime and Battlefield utility roles. Thanks to the Mid-Life Upgrade program Leonardo Helicopters will extend the operational capability of Lynx.
Current situation
The MLU program upgrades the in-service Lynx aircrafts to introduce modern systems and increased reliability. At the heart of the MLU is a new avionics core, based on the AW159, including new Integrated Display Units as well as a Tactical Processor which integrates the new and legacy mission systems.
The proposal
A significant change within the MLU is the replacement of the engines with the LHTEC T800. This is combined with structural, transmissions, hydraulic and electrical system revisions all aimed at improving reliability and maintainability.
Other Customer specific changes have also been integrated at the same time.
The objective
Where the Customer has multiple Lynx family configurations Leonardo will identify cost effective upgrade paths that can combine both the Lynx and AW159 aircraft systems to support a converging common configuration, delivering further through-life cost of ownership advantages.