The Helicopters Division of Kaman Aerospace recently delivered the first upgraded Egyptian Air Force (EAF) SH-2G(E), with the second aircraft accepted by the EAF on 18 February 2009. A joint NAVAIR and EAF team successfully completed acceptance trials of the modernized aircraft at Kaman’s Bloomfield facilities in December 2008.

Current plans call for ten EAF upgraded SH-2G(E) aircraft to be delivered by 2011.

The upgrade program, administered by NAVAIR via a foreign military sales program, added new systems, significant new capabilities and improved maintainability to the SH-2G(E), including:

• Digital automatic flight control system (DAFCS)
• FLIR systems-SAFIRE II FLIR
• General electric aviation systems health and usage monitoring systems (HUMS)
• ALE-47 countermeasures dispensing
• APN-194 radar altimeter
• Rockwell Collins AHS-1000 attitude heading reference system (AHRS)

Kaman developed, flight tested and qualified DAFCS software, which will significantly improve the handling qualities of the aircraft. Kaman also flight tested the new systems and verified their integration with EAF personnel.