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The U.S. Air Force has told bidders for the Bell Helicopter UH-1N Huey utility helicopter replacement program to include ADS-B Out technology in their proposals to enhance safety and navigation efficiency, the service said June 15.
The Air Force said in a statement that it added ADS-B Out to the program’s requirements because the FAA’s 2020 mandate. The new helicopter’s missions will include protecting intercontinental ballistic missile fields in the U.S.
The Air Force still plans to issue the program’s final request for proposals in July and award a contract in fiscal year 2018. Potential bidders include a Boeing-Leonardo team, Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky unit and Bell.
This article was originally published by Defense Daily It has been edited.