Lockheed Martin has announced the successful completion of the Critical Design Review (CDR) for the VH-92A Presidential Helicopter Replacement Programme. The programme is now cleared to proceed to assembly, test and evaluation.

The U.S. Navy awarded a $1.24bn fixed-price incentive Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) contract with production options to Sikorsky on May 7, 2014, for 21 operational and two test aircraft. The contract followed the cancellation of the earlier VH-71 programme, based on the AgustaWestland AW101, in partnership with ... Lockheed Martin. The VH-71 programme was cancelled in 2009 due to cost overruns.

Sikorsky was acquired by Lockheed Martin in November 2015.

Initial fielding is planned for 2020, with production concluding in 2023. Under the contract, Sikorsky will use its production S-92 aircraft and integrate government defined mission systems and an executive interior.

Two Engineering Development Model (EDM) aircraft are undergoing the modification process at Sikorsky’s Stratford, Conn., location. First flight of a VH-92A configured aircraft is planned for 2017.