Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) has submitted its Sierra Force helicopter in its final bid and proposal to replace the U.S. Air Force’s (USAF) UH-1N Huey fleet. SNC will purchase divested UH-60A helicopters from the US Army. Then, it will convert the aircraft’s exterior and interior, upgrade it to an UH-60L model. This allows for a modern, cost-effective helicopter, the company said in a statement Monday.

The A model has a lower price-per-unit to purchase, but once the conversion to an L model is complete, Sierra Force is essentially a new aircraft. The Sierra Force UH60L is equipped with two new General Electric Aviation T-701D engines and a state-of-the-art glass cockpit and avionics suite. Using a metal airframe for the Sierra Force — different from composite materials — enables a longer service life and lower overall maintenance costs.

The Sierra Force helicopter production plan includes acquiring UH-60A helicopters through the US Army’s Blackhawk Exchange Support Team (BEST) program in Huntsville, Alabama and A-to-L conversion by the Corpus Christi Army Depot in Texas. Upgrade, missionization and delivery activities will be conducted at SNC’s Huntsville facility.