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.