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Rob Koon, AIR 1.0 Public Affairs Officer
301-757-8058; cell: 240-538-8884
Mark McDonald, Vox|Optima Public Relations
402-309-0721.

NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md. – NAVAIR’s H-46 program office will host an International Day on April 16 at National Harbor, Md., adjacent to the 2012 Sea-Air-Space Exposition.

International Day provides an opportunity for interested country representatives to tour the H-46 Sea Knight helicopter, discuss its capabilities with aircrew and maintainers, as well as interact with potential industry partners.

Marine Helicopter Squadron 1 from Marine Corps Air Facility, Quantico, Va., will have an aircraft available for tours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Additionally, a recently transferred H-46 painted with the colors of the Department of State will also be on hand.

Those interested in tours, should contact Fred Beer, Navy League of the United States, at 571-228-9447 or visit the website www.seaairspace.org/.

Providing maritime medium-lift capability, the H-46 is a tandem rotor helicopter powered by two T58 engines. Known as the workhorse of the U.S. Marine Corps’ aviation fleet, the H-46 supports diverse missions including combat troop insertion and assault support; search and rescue; casualty evacuation; transport of equipment and supplies; VIP transport; wild-fire fighting; and worldwide humanitarian-assistance disaster relief.

The Marine Corps is transitioning its medium-lift capability to the V-22 Osprey, freeing up H-46s for potential foreign military sales. Naval officials said several countries are considering purchasing the venerable H-46. The U.S. Department of State has received 16 aircraft from the Marine Corps for VIP transport in support of overseas missions.

Interest in the H-46 has been driven by the Marine Corps substantial investments in keeping the aircraft safe and extending its service life, officials said.