US looking to build Ugandan Huey hangar

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The US Army Corps of Engineers is looking to build a hangar for Uganda’s UH-1H Huey II helicopters in Soroti, Uganda.

In a notice posted on the US Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) website on 16 April, the Army said it was looking for sources to design and build a new hangar for no more than three Huey II helicopters in Soriti, along with maintenance capabilities and an apron. The facility shall be able to accommodate eight to twelve individuals.
“The hangar shall accommodate no more than three bays for the Huey II helicopters, approximately 24 x 22 meters minimum (528.00 m2 total net area),” the FBO said. “The maintenance related rooms shall accommodate: One mechanical room (11.70 m2 total net area), one electrical room (11.70 m2 total net area), one air compressor room (11.70 m2 total net area) and one battery room (11.70 m2 total net area), one machine maintenance shop (32.00 m2 total net area), one electronics shop (24.00 m2 total net area), one avionics shop (24.00 m2 total net area) and one secure storage (32.00 m2 total net area).”

The price range for construction is estimated between $500,000 and $1,000,000.

The FBO noted that the Ugandan request is for market research purposes only and is not a Request for Proposal nor Invitation for Bid.

Responses are due by 1 May 2018.

In March the US Army was looking at the possibility of acquiring a flight simulator for Uganda’s Huey IIs.

Uganda is expected to receive five refurbished Huey II helicopters this year. Bell Helicopter on 10 November 2017 finished refurbishing the aircraft after nearly 200 employees at its Ozark, Alabama, facility spent nearly a year upgrading them. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) aircraft register records their temporary registration numbers being cancelled on 19 December.

The aircraft are ex-US Army UH-1Hs upgraded to UH-1H Huey II standard. Bell was in September 2016 awarded a $34.5 million contract for the five helicopters for Uganda with work due to have been completed by 29 December 2017. Meanwhile, Kenya received eight Huey IIs between December 2016 and July 2017.