New Combat Rescue Helicopter Ffleet at Kirtland Air Force Base, May 31, 2016

At a press conference with the 58th Special Operations Wing in a hanger at Kirtland Air Force Base (KAFB), U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich announced that KAFB will receive a new combat search and rescue helicopter fleet to replace current aging aircraft. KAFB will be the first Air Force installation in the country to receive the new Combat Rescue Helicopters (CRH). According to the fielding plan, KAFB will receive a total of 14 Combat Rescue Helicopters between fiscal year 2020 and 2028. Senator Heinrich fought against a proposal to terminate the helicopter replacement program in 2014 and has advocated on the Senate Armed Services Committee to replace the existing fleet.