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.

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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.