Press Release:

Sikorsky Awarded $3.0B Development Contract For Marine Corps CH-53K
Heavy-Lift Helicopter

Thursday, April 06, 2006 -- Sikorsky

Sikorsky Aircraft announced today that it was awarded a $3.0 billion
System Development and Demonstration (SDD) contract for the United
States Marine Corps CH-53K heavy-lift helicopter. Sikorsky Aircraft is a
subsidiary of United Technologies Corp.

Under the terms of the SDD contract, Sikorsky will oversee aircraft
development, systems integration, test article production and test and
evaluation activities on a sole source basis. The SDD contract could
lead to the production of 156 CH-53K aircraft to replace roughly an
equal number of CH-53E Super Stallions in the Marine Corps' current
inventory. Development money and production quantities are determined
year-by-year over the life of the program based on funding allocations
set by Congress and Pentagon acquisition priorities.

SDD engineering and program administration activity will be centered at
Sikorsky's Stratford facility and begin immediately.

"For more than two decades the Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion has been
the most capable marinized heavy-lift helicopter in the world. The new
CH-53K promises a marked improvement in payload, range, and 'hot-high'
capabilities and it will be the only aircraft equipped the meet the
Marine Corps' unique and demanding requirements. We thank the Marine
Corps for showing confidence in Sikorsky to develop and build a new
aircraft that is vital to the nation and our armed forces," Sikorsky
President Jeffrey Pino said.

The three-engine Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion is the largest, most
powerful marinized helicopter in the world. It is deployed from Marine
Corps amphibious assault ships to transport personnel and equipment, and
to carry external (sling) loads.

Sikorsky is currently conducting competitions to select suppliers for
the CH-53K major sub-systems, including the avionics management system
and the engine. Sub-system supplier selection is scheduled to finish
later in 2006.

The CH-53K will maintain virtually the same footprint as the CH-53E, but
will nearly double the payload to 27,000 pounds over 110 nautical miles
under "hot high" ambient conditions. The CH-53K's maximum gross weight
will increase to 84,700 pounds versus 73,000 pounds for the CH-53E.

The upgrades slated for the CH-53K include: joint interoperable glass
cockpit fly-by-wire flight controls; high-efficiency rotor blade with
anhedral tip; low-maintenance elastomeric rotorhead; gross weight
expansion; upgraded engine system; cargo rail locking system; external
cargo handling improvements and survivability enhancements; and reduced
operation and support costs.

Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, based in Stratford, Conn., is a world
leader in helicopter design, manufacturing, and service. United
Technologies Corp., based in Hartford, Conn., provides a broad range of
high-technology products and support services to the aerospace and
building systems industries.

This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning future
business opportunities. Actual results may differ materially from those
projected as a result of certain risks and uncertainties, including but
not limited to changes in government procurement priorities and
practices or in the number of aircraft to be built; challenges in the
design, development, production and support of advanced technologies; as
well as other risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to
those detailed from time to time in United Technologies Corporation's
Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

That should be a cool chopper, as long as they don't go on strike and quit building them.





 

Quoted: That should be a cool chopper, as long as they don't go on strike and quit building them.

no no, that got resolved remember.....  the union got their pee pee slapped pretty hard

Why don't they just use that "upgraded 46" Sikorsky has on the shelf?  

That's good news.