The testing, conducted from mid January through early February at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, demonstrated the successful integration of the ISD suite of warnings and countermeasures designed to protect the aircraft against missile attacks.

The ISD suite will be included on what ultimately will be a fleet of 254 MH-60R helicopters, designed for anti-surface warfare, undersea warfare, and local area peace-keeping operations.

"The ISD performed very successfully through an intensive testing sequence," said Lieutenant Commander Mark Johnson, Navy ISD Test Team Project Officer. "All components worked as expected, and the system proved effective in tests against multiple infrared (IR) and multiple radio frequency (RF) missile systems."

The testing involved 14 flights totaling 40 hours. Participants included the Lockheed Martin MH-60R test team; representatives from airframe manufacturer Sikorsky Aircraft Corp.; engineers, maintenance crew and test pilots from the HX-21 developmental test squadron at Patuxent River; engineers and scientists from the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Crane, IN; engineers from the 46th Test Wing at Eglin Air Force Base; engineers from Tekla Research Inc.; and personnel from BAE Systems.

The team evaluated the entire ISD suite, which includes missile warning systems, decoy flares and chaff, and IR and RF countermeasures. Naval personnel will now conduct operational testing of the system.

Lockheed Martin is the systems integrator for the MH-60R and provides the cockpit, which is common to all MH-60S and MH-60R helicopters. Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation designs and manufactures the MH-60S and MH-60R aircraft and is responsible for the mechanical and electrical modifications on the airframe.

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