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The news came on the heels of a decision by Sikorsky, a division of Lockheed Martin, last fall to keep its headquarters in Stratford. And in April, Sikorsky announced plans to produce 200 King Stallion Helicopters for the U.S. Marine Corps.
The multi-year contract for the Black Hawks will offer significant savings to the U.S. government.
The contract value for expected deliveries is $3.8 billion, and it includes options for an additional 103 aircraft, with the total contract value potentially reaching $5.2 billion.
The number will be determined year-by-year over the life of the program based on funding allocations set by Congress and Pentagon acquisition priorities. The deliveries are scheduled to begin in October and continue through 2022.
"Four decades of production, strong program execution and delivery on behalf of the warfighter, coupled with great affordability for the taxpayer, have been the cornerstones of this program," said Sam Mehta, president of defense systems and services at Sikorsky. "This contract allows us to continue supporting the important missions the Black Hawk performs as the workhorse utility and medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) helicopter in the U.S. Army inventory."
Col. Billy Jackson, the Utility Helicopters Project Manager, agreed. "This contract will provide our Army, sister services and allies with state-of-the-art modernized helicopters to complete crucial missions and save lives," he said.
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