The U.S. Navy has awarded a modification to a previously awarded contract to Vertex Aerospace LLC from Mississippi for support of TH-57 Sea Ranger fleet.

According to the U.S. Department of Defense, this modification increases the ceiling and extends the period of performance of the contract to provide additional TH-57 Sea Ranger logistics support services and materials for organizational and depot level maintenance in support of the TH-57 fleet.  

The TH-57 Sea Ranger is a derivative of the commercial Bell Jet Ranger 206. Although primarily used for training, these aircraft are also used for photo, chase and utility missions.

The Jet Ranger was initially designed to compete in a U.S. Army light observation helicopter competition. Bell lost that competition but the 206 was commercially successful. The TH-57 Sea Ranger provides advanced instrument flight rules (IFR) training to several hundred aviation students a year at Naval Air Station Whiting Field in Milton, Florida.

Work will be performed in Milton, Florida, and is expected to be completed in May 2019.