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Artist rendering of the VH-71 Kestrel | |
Role | Executive transport helicopter |
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Manufacturer | Lockheed Martin AgustaWestland Bell Helicopter (assembly) |
First flight | 3 July 2007 |
Status | Canceled |
Primary user | United States Marine Corps |
Number built | 9 (VH-71A) |
Developed from | AgustaWestland AW101 |
The AgustaWestland AW101, initially designated as EH101, was originally developed and produced by EH Industries, which was a joint venture between the British Westland Helicopters and Italian Agusta companies; Westland merged with Agusta to form AgustaWestland in 2001 AgustaWestland held considerable interest in the export prospects of the AW101, including the prospects for an extensive overseas manufacturing consortium. On 23 July 2002, Lockheed Martin and AgustaWestland announced that they had signed a 10-year agreement to jointly market, manufacture and support a medium-lift helicopter, an AW101 derivative, in the United States. At that time,
The US101 also competed for two further USAF contracts, the 141-aircraft Combat Search and Rescue Replacement (CSAR-X) project (originally won by the Boeing HH-47 on 10 November 2006, but now subject to a second procurement competition), and the 70-aircraft Common Vertical Lift Support Program (CVLSP).
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In September 2018, the United States Air Force (USAF) announced that the MH-139, an AW139 variant, was the winner of a competition to replace the Vietnam-era Bell UH-1Ns. The service will buy up to 84 MH-139s
The multi-role AW139M, the military version of the AW139, meets the demand of military and government missions.
The multi-role AW139M, the military version of the AW139, meets the demand of military and government missions.