AUGUST 24, 2026 – In a critical step to ensure long-term fleet readiness and secure dominance in the maritime domain, the Navy’s MH-60 Sea Hawk helicopter service life modernization program recently announced the industry performers identified to proceed to the first phase of a statement of work collaboration for the MH-60 tailorable architecture leveraging open systems prototype project.
Led by the H-60 Multi-Mission Helicopter program office, in a joint cooperative effort with the Royal Australian Navy, the prototype project will simultaneously modernize the MH-60 avionics and mission system architecture while resolving multiple obsolescence issues.
The project is designed to deliver a cost-effective platform that can rapidly respond to emerging threats, adapt to new fleet requirements and support MH-60 sustainment through the 2050 timeframe. Through collaborative digital engineering and open-system design, this joint effort strengthens U.S. and allied maritime forces’ ability to outpace emerging global threats for decades to come.
To execute this modernization strategy, the government is using another transaction authority agreement facilitated by the Naval Aviation Systems Consortium to engage industry partners across three critical roles:
Lead aircraft integrator: Sierra Nevada Corp was identified to design the physical and structural integration for the MH-60S variant. Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems was identified to design the physical and structural integration for the MH-60R variant.
Segment lead integrator-flight critical avionics segment: Rockwell Collins Inc., and Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems were identified as the segment lead integrators responsible for hardware and software architecture design, interface management, and system-level software integration for the flight critical avionics segment and the digital backbone system.
Open system verification demonstration third-party integrator: Technology Security Associates Inc., was identified to support the government’s assessment of how segment integrators implement a modular open systems approach in the flight critical avionics segment and the digital backbone system, including open system verification demonstrations.
This does not constitute formal contract or agreement awards, which remain contingent upon successful negotiation and finalization of the Phase 1 statements of work, laying the groundwork for a major leap in naval aviation technology and marking a critical step toward potential prototype development for the flight critical avionics segment and the digital backbone system.
Under this phased acquisition approach, Phase 1 will focus on the preliminary fight critical avionics segment and the digital backbone system design, establishing the collaborative digital engineering environment and characterizing the baseline aircraft through physical integration, structural modification, A-kit fabrication, and preparation for aircraft-level testing. Phase 2 will focus on prototype development and verification activities.
By using modern digital acquisition practices and modular open systems approach standards, the prototype project will support MH-60 Sea Hawk key business drivers while also streamlining future vertical lift development with portable open core architecture.
The MH-60R specializes in antisubmarine warfare, surface warfare, electronic warfare, and command and control. The MH-60S is used for performing antisurface warfare, combat search and rescue, special warfare support and airborne mine countermeasures.
By Katherine Coughlan
Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division