Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc.KTOS +0.00% , a leading National Security Solutions provider, announced today that it has received from Sikorsky a contract award valued at over $8.5 million to design and develop maintenance training systems for the CH-53K heavy lift replacement helicopter. Kratos will provide a full-fidelity Maintenance Training Device Suite (MTDS), as well as a Helicopter Emulation Maintenance Trainer (HEMT), which will be delivered to the Marine Corps Air Station New River, N.C.

Sikorsky leads a team that is designing and building the CH-53K heavy lift helicopter for the U.S. Marine Corps. Once operational in 2019, CH-53K aircraft will almost triple the external load carrying capacity of the existing CH-53E SUPER STALLION helicopter to more than 27,000 pounds over 110 nautical miles under “high and hot” ambient conditions.

The MTDS is a full-fidelity maintenance trainer that will provide a true-to-life environment for training and evaluating the maintainers of multiple subsystems on the CH-53K platform. The MTDS supports maintenance training as well as remove-and-replace training for avionics systems, electrical systems, hydraulic systems and many other mechanical subsystems.

In addition to MTDS, Kratos will also design and develop the HEMT, which uses a 3D virtual environment to support maintenance training scenarios. The HEMT will provide Marine Corps CH-53K Enlisted Aircrew and maintainers with an accurate environment to train functional tests, fault isolation, troubleshooting, and remove and installation for 27 subsystems.

“Kratos is pleased to be selected by Sikorsky as a principal value added partner to provide maintenance training systems for the new CH-53K heavy lift helicopter,” said Jose Diaz, Senior Vice President of Training Solutions. “These advanced systems will significantly enhance the training performance for Marine Corps aircrews and maintainers.”

About Kratos Defense & Security Solutions

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. KTOS +0.00% is a specialized National Security technology Company providing mission critical products, services and solutions for United States National Security. Kratos’ core capabilities are sophisticated engineering, manufacturing and system integration offerings for National Security platforms and programs. Kratos’ areas of expertise include Command, Control, Communications, Computing, Combat Systems, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR), satellite communication systems, electronic warfare, unmanned systems, missile defense, cyber warfare, cybersecurity, information assurance, and critical infrastructure security. Kratos has primarily an engineering and technically oriented work force of approximately 3,900. The vast majority of Kratos’ work is performed on a military base, in a secure facility or at a critical infrastructure location. Kratos’ primary end customers are National Security related agencies. News and information are available at www.KratosDefense.com.