Rotorcraft Report: Kaman Brings Seasprite to Black Sea Show

MILITARY

Kaman Helicopters planned to display an SH-2G(I) Super Seasprite for the first time to the Black Sea Defense & Aerospace Exposition Sept. 24-26 in Bucharest, Romania.

Company officials and suppliers will set to brief potential customers about the helicopter and its capabilities. The aircraft is one of 11 multi-mission maritime helicopters now available for immediate delivery. They were returned to Kaman by Australia after that country’s government its long-delayed, Australian $1-billion-plus SH-2G Super Seasprite maritime strike and surveillance helicopters.

Kaman said the SH-2G(I) is the latest and most capable variant of its H-2 Series of maritime helicopters. It is fully equipped to perform a variety of naval and coast guard missions. The 11 aircraft feature an advanced Integrated Tactical Avionics System (ITAS), designed to provide a high degree of autonomy, allowing a crew of two to effectively perform missions otherwise requiring a crew of three or four. They are also equipped with a fully digital automatic flight control system. Kaman is offering the helicopters with a three-year spares package, full crew and maintenance manuals, a validated training program, ground-based simulators, including desktop trainers, and a full motion flight simulator, software support center, and mission preparation and debrief facility. These are fully-capable multi-mission aircraft, said Kaman Helicopters President Sal Bordonaro. "We are proud to offer them to the international naval community.

The U.S. delegation to NATO is supporting efforts for Baltic and Black Sea states to consider the SH-2G(I) for regional modernization, standardization and interoperability.