KBR to Update and Improve UH-60V Black Hawk Fleet for U.S. Army with $156.7M Contract

HOUSTON, Nov. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- KBR (NYSE: KBR) announced today it has been awarded a $156.7 million task order to support capabilities assessment and enhancements for the U.S. Army's Utility Helicopter 60 Variant (UH-60V) fleet, providing technologically superior and cost-effective helicopters for U.S. and Allied Forces. KBR was awarded this contract under the Department of Defense Information Analysis Center's (DoD IAC) multiple-award contract (MAC) vehicle. These DoD IAC MAC task orders are awarded by the U.S. Air Force's 774th Enterprise Sourcing Squadron to develop and create new knowledge for the enhancement of the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) repository and the research and development and science and technology community.

Under the terms of the contract with Program Executive Office (PEO) Aviation, Utility Helicopter Project Office (UHPO), KBR and key teammate Northrop Grumman Corporation will develop recommendations and technical solutions for the UHPO and its international partners to increase availability, improve reliability, and reduce the support costs for the UH-60V.

"KBR is excited to support PEO aviation as they advance Black Hawk technology to better support the U.S. military with this critical asset," said Stuart Bradie, President and CEO of KBR. "KBR and Northrop Grumman bring the experience and expertise to deliver solutions to maintain Army aviation technological superiority and reduce costs."

This work is expected to be performed over five years, with KBR performing Reliability, Maintainability, Quality, Supportability, and Interoperability (RMQSI), logistics and testing, program management, and validation, prototyping, lifecycle analyses, and sustainability improvement. Work is expected to take place at KBR and partner facilities in Huntsville, Alabama.

According to the U.S. Army, the UH-60V helicopter, known as the Victor, "was developed to overhaul the aging UH-60A and L fleets. The new model has several technological advancements that make it easier to operate than older variants, including an upgraded digital glass cockpit, certified GPS RNAV database and advanced flight planning and mission capability." Planned upgrades and improvements to the UH-60V encompass the avionics architecture, flight controls, fuel system, electrical system, airframe, drive train, and a newly developed rotor system.

KBR is proud to be a leader in advancing air, space, cyber, and defense systems for the U.S. military. KBR offers full lifecycle support for hardware including design, obsolesce management, prototyping, and full integrated logistics support. KBR has been supporting PEO Aviation and UHPO since 1988, providing critical support and analysis through decades of program evolution, sustainability, and technology transitions. Northrop Grumman provides the Integrated Avionics Suite for the UH-60V. This transformational approach to avionics modernizes the U.S. Army's UH-60L Black Hawk helicopters with a glass cockpit, including an integrated computational system, visual display system and Control Display Units. This replaces the analog gauges in UH-60L helicopters with an integrated system that provides one of the most advanced avionics systems in the U.S. Army.

The DoD IAC, sponsored by the Defense Technical Information Center, provides technical data management and research support for DoD and federal government users. Established in 1946, the IAC program serves the DoD science & technology (S&T) and acquisition communities to drive innovation and technological developments by enhancing collaboration through integrated scientific and technical information development and dissemination for the DoD and broader S&T community.

We deliver science, technology and engineering solutions to governments and companies around the world. KBR employs approximately 28,000 people performing diverse, complex and mission-critical roles in 34 countries.

KBR is proud to work with its customers across the globe to provide technology, value-added services, and long-term operations and maintenance services to ensure consistent delivery with predictable results. At KBR, We Deliver.

Visit www.kbr.com  

The statements in this press release that are not historical statements, including statements regarding future financial performance, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the company's control that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results expressed or implied by the statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the significant adverse impacts on economic and market conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic and the company's ability to respond to the resulting challenges and business disruption; the recent dislocation of the global energy market; the company's ability to manage its liquidity; the outcome of and the publicity surrounding audits and investigations by domestic and foreign government agencies and legislative bodies; potential adverse proceedings by such agencies and potential adverse results and consequences from such proceedings; changes in capital spending by the company's customers; the company's ability to obtain contracts from existing and new customers and perform under those contracts; structural changes in the industries in which the company operates; escalating costs associated with and the performance of fixed-fee projects and the company's ability to control its cost under its contracts; claims negotiations and contract disputes with the company's customers; changes in the demand for or price of oil and/or natural gas; protection of intellectual property rights; compliance with environmental laws; changes in government regulations and regulatory requirements; compliance with laws related to income taxes; unsettled political conditions, war and the effects of terrorism; foreign operations and foreign exchange rates and controls; the development and installation of financial systems; the possibility of cyber and malware attacks; increased competition for employees; the ability to successfully complete and integrate acquisitions; and operations of joint ventures, including joint ventures that are not controlled by the company.

The company's most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K, any subsequent Form 10-Qs and 8-Ks, and other U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings discuss some of the important risk factors that the company has identified that may affect its business, results of operations and financial condition. Except as required by law, the company undertakes no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason.

This material is based upon work supported by the DoD Information Analysis Center Program (DoD IAC), sponsored by the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) under Contract No. FA8075-18-D-0015.

Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the DoD.

SOURCE KBR, Inc.