Sikorsky displays Canada-built helo

PARIS, June 17 (UPI)

Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. says it is displaying its Canadian-built CH-148 Cyclone helicopter the 49th International Paris Air Show.

The aircraft on display was built under Sikorsky's Canadian Maritime Helicopter Project and is one of 28 CH-148 aircraft that will be produced for the Canadian military to replace a fleet of Sea King helicopters that have been in operation for almost 50 years.

A multi-mission aircraft, the Cyclone helicopter addresses the full range of maritime missions including anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, search and rescue and utility missions.

The aircraft has a full glass cockpit with a fully digital fly-by-wire flight control system, automatic blade and tail fold, 360-degree Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar, self-defense suite, passive and active acoustics, Forward Looking Infrared, electronic surveillance systems, digital data link and an extensive navigation and communications suite.

"We believe the Cyclone helicopter represents the 'aircraft of the future' for maritime forces around the globe," said Carey Bond, president of Sikorsky Global Helicopters. "This is a helicopter that offers significant advancements in technology.

"It is clearing a path for delivery of an extremely sophisticated, flexible aircraft that will be among the most capable maritime helicopters in its class ever designed and built anywhere in the world."

The CH-148 Cyclone is derived from, and builds upon, the Sikorsky S-92 search-and-rescue helicopter now in use with the U.K. Maritime and Coastguard Agency, the Saudi Ministry of Interior, offshore oil operators and other users throughout the world.

Sikorsky has proposed the Cyclone helicopter, based upon the CH-148 Cyclone helicopter developed for Canada, to the German navy as a common, low-risk solution to Germany's helicopter requirements.