WOODLAND, Wash., April 26 (UPI) -- A new litter system for use on U.S. military medical evacuation aircraft has been ordered by the U.S. Department of Defense from a Washington state company.
LifePort Inc., a subsidiary of Sikorsky Aerospace Systems, said the indefinite-delivery/indefinite quantity award from the Defense Logistics Agency was received through the Electronic Catalog, an online purchasing vehicle that allows any U.S. federal agency to purchase products directly.
The value of the five-year contract could be as much as $45 million.
LifePort's stanchion litter system -- a collaborative effort by LifePort, the U.S. Air Force Aeromedical Test Branch, and Air Mobility Command's Aeromedical Evacuation community -- is designed to replace or supplement existing medevac equipment. It features a lighter infrastructure and ability to accommodate increased patient weight.
The SLS, complete with installation kits and fabric transport cases, is to be deployed in KC-135R, C-130, C-17, KC-10, C-5 and C-40C aircraft.
"The SLS will simplify operational logistics, increase existing aircraft payload and optimize the capabilities of both today and tomorrow's AE missions," LifePort President Jeffrey Jannitto said. "This contract award is the culmination of a multiyear development project and represents a quantum leap forward in medevac capability."
LifePort specializes in the design and manufacture of air medical systems, lightweight armor, interior components and galley equipment for aircraft.
