The Australian Navy has awarded a contract to BAE Systems to provide maintenance services for the Navy’s S-70B-2 Seahawk helicopters.

Under the $187m contract, the company will provide engineering, maintenance and some supply services for all 16 helicopters in the fleet.

Maintenance work will begin in April 2010, and is expected to run until all existing Seahawks are withdrawn from service.

Sikorsky’s S-70B-2 Seahawk is a twin-engine helicopter specifically designed for anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, personnel transport and vertical replenishment of stores to ships.