Stratford-based Sikorsky Plane has acquired approval from the U.S. Navy to start ramping up manufacturing of the CH-53K King Stallion helicopter for the Marine Corps, firm officers mentioned Tuesday.
Sikorsky is at the moment producing the helicopters at a fee of 4 per yr and has delivered two inside the previous month alone, in line with an organization spokeswoman. However with the Navy’s full fee manufacturing approval, the quantity of helicopters produced will construct over time to finally attain 20 per yr.
The contract with the Navy requires Sikorsky to construct a complete of 200 helicopters. Invoice Falk, director of the Sikorsky’s CH-53K program mentioned the Navy’s manufacturing authorization “stabilizes Sikorsky’s home provide chain and is a testomony to our enduring partnership with the Marine Corps.”
Sikorsky has greater than 200 CH-53K suppliers throughout 35 states, together with 44 right here in Connecticut. With the Navy’s approval of ramped up manufacturing, suppliers will be capable to make purchases in bulk, which can create efficiencies that may drive down the general price of the plane for the U.S. navy and worldwide allies, in line with firm officers.
The CH-53K is a helicopter with heavy-lift capabilities that exceed all different U.S. Division of Protection rotary wing plane. It might probably carry a 27,000-pound exterior load over 110 nautical miles in scorching situations, which is greater than triple the exterior load carrying capability of the legacy CH-53E plane.
It’s also the one heavy-lift helicopter that may stay in manufacturing via 2032 and past.
Sikorsky is a subsidiary of Maryland-based Lockheed Martin Corp.
The information of the Navy approval comes weeks after it was introduced the U.S. Army had opted towards Sikorsky’s helicopter proposal for the substitute of the Black Hawk, in favor of Texas-based Bell’s V-280 Valor tiltrotor plane.
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