Lockheed’s Sikorsky wins $2.3 billion Army Black Hawk multi-year contract

WASHINGTON — Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky unit gained its tenth five-year contract price $2.3 billion for 120 H-60 Mike-model Black Hawk utility helicopters with choices for a further 135 plane for each the Military and different prospects by means of International Army Gross sales, the Pentagon stated.

Ought to all choices be exercised, the contract may very well be price a complete of $4.4 billion, the Military stated in a June 27 assertion.

Deliveries underneath the contract are set to start in July and proceed by means of 2027.

“This Multi-Yr settlement permits the Military to satisfy present and future functionality wants by means of upgrades, remanufacturing, alternative, and expertise insertions,” stated Col. Calvin Lane, the Military’s utility helicopters mission supervisor, within the assertion. “The efficiencies of this contract make the very best use of restricted sources and end in direct financial savings to the Military and to taxpayers.”

The Military and Sikorsky didn’t disclose how a lot financial savings could be generated by means of the five-year deal.

Whereas the Military is gearing as much as award a contract to both Bell or a Sikorsky-Boeing workforce to construct the Future Lengthy-Vary Assault Plane supposed to switch the Black Hawk, the service has stated the UH-60 will stay within the power for years to come back and will probably be phased out slowly over time as FLRAA comes on-line within the 2030s.

Mike-model Black Hawks had been first fielded in 2007. The Alpha-model was fielded in 1978. The M-model is the most recent variant of the helicopter and offers extra capabilities resembling elevated situational consciousness and extra payload capability.

Black Hawks are set to obtain the Military’s Improved Turbine Engine Program engine developed by Common Electrical Aviation as one improve that may preserve the Military’s work horse flying for a number of extra many years. The primary engine is in authorities testing.

“A long time of Black Hawk manufacturing and enhancements, robust program execution and shut partnership with the Military has stored this system thriving, and this contract is a testomony to that success,” Nathalie Previte, vp of Sikorsky’s Military and Air Pressure packages, stated within the assertion.

“Moreover, we proceed to see robust worldwide curiosity within the Black Hawk on account of its versatility and confirmed file of offering unwavering assist to the U.S. and nations across the globe,” she added.

Sikorsky is investing within the Black Hawk platform “from sustainment to digital transformation and modernization with the intention to present our prospects with the aggressive edge they require,” Previte stated. “We’ve aligned our investments with the Military’s expertise roadmap, whereas leveraging Future Vertical Elevate applied sciences to make sure the Black Hawk will probably be a key participant within the Joint All-Area Operations setting and FVL ecosystem.”

The Military can be nearing an settlement with Boeing on its second multiyear contract for the AH-64 Echo-model Apache assault helicopter.