DOD Acquisition: Case Study of the Navy CV Inner Zone Anti-Submarine Warfare Helicopter Program

The Navy initiated the Aircraft Carrier (CV) Inner Zone Anti-Submarine Warfare Helicopter Program to provide a weapon system to be used in antisubmarine warfare by carrier battle groups. The Inner Zone Helicopter will provide a fast reaction, highly mobile sonar and homing torpedo delivery capability for detecting, localizing, and attacking enemy submarines that enter the high noise environment of the carrier battle group inner zone. The Inner Zone Helicopter will also perform search and rescue missions Discussions between top level Naval Air Systems Command officials and the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations about a replacement for the SH-3 antisubmarine warfare helicopter began in the 1970s; however as the SH-3 helicopter was not nearing the end of its service life, the Navy did not propose the program as a new start until May 1981. The Inner Zone Helicopter Program, known as the SH-GOF, began in May 1981 when the Navy proposed it as a fiscal year 1983 new start. The Deputy Secretary of Defense approved the program as a new start in a Program Budget Decision of December 19, 1981. As originally planned, the SH-6OF was to replace the SHSH helicopters with a variant of the Light Airborne Multipurpose System (LAMPS) MK III (SH-GOB) helicopter.