Will Support Black Hawks

Sikorsky Aircraft announced Tuesday the expansion of its existing Huntsville offices to provide a technical integration center in support of U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopters and other military aviation programs.

As part of the expansion, the Sikorsky technical integration center will grow from 10 to 60-plus employees in 2006 to include Sikorsky engineers, logisticians, and program managers. Engineering disciplines will include structures, avionics, electrical, software, aerodynamics, test and reliability.

Sikorsky representatives tell Aero-News that new positions are expected to be filled predominantly by new hires from the Huntsville area.

"The Black Hawk has been the work horse in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as disaster relief efforts all over the world. Sikorsky is committed to providing the Army support to rapidly implement modifications and to maintain the highest level of availability of any rotary wing platform in the war effort," said Paul Martin, Sikorsky senior vice president for government and advanced development programs.

Sikorsky will initially expand its old Huntsville offices, before relocating to the new 14,000 square foot facility by late summer 2006.

"Expansion of our Huntsville presence is evidence of our continuing commitment to provide world class engineering and logistics expertise to support the U.S. Army Aviation warfighter. The Sikorsky technical integration center will allow us to respond more quickly to customer requirements, and enhance our ability to rapidly develop and field new capabilities, as well as modify and support current products," said Mark Miller, Sikorsky vice president for engineering.

Since 1978 Sikorsky Aircraft has manufactured and delivered more than 1,500 H-60 Black Hawk helicopter variants to the Army, making the service the world's largest Black Hawk operator.

The expanded Sikorsky Huntsville office will support the legacy Black Hawk fleet as well as the latest version of the aircraft, the UH-60M advanced utility helicopter. The UH-60M is designed to replace the older UH-60A Black Hawk and is the centerpiece of the Army's long-term effort to modernize its medium-lift helicopter fleet.

Sikorsky is currently under a multi-year contract to manufacture and deliver UH-60L utility and HH-60L Medevac helicopters, as well as a Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) contract for new UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters for the Army. A full-rate production decision to authorize more than 1,200 UH-60M aircraft is scheduled for 2007. Exact procurement numbers year-to-year and across the life of the program will be determined by budget authorizations and specific contract awards.

Based in Stratford, CT Sikorsky Aircraft is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp.

FMI: www.sikorsky.com