Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, has signed a Novel Production Agreement with the US Army. The deal lets the service add Black Hawk helicopters as requirements emerge, according to Sikorsky. The initial order covers 16 aircraft. The Army expects to add more than 100 further helicopters in the coming years.
The award arrived ahead of the end-of-year target Sikorsky published earlier. It also keeps production running across 230 suppliers in 43 states.
Flexibility for the Army and allies
The structure lets the Army adjust orders as needs and budgets change each year. It also supports foreign military sales, a priority for allied nations. Rich Benton, Sikorsky vice president and general manager, said the agreement turns a partner-nation decision into aircraft “on the ramp faster than conventional procurement allows.”
More than 5,000 Black Hawks have been delivered to over 36 allied nations. The fleet has logged more than 15 million flight hours, including roughly 5 million in combat.
Funding through the BEST programme
Congressional appropriations for fiscal years 2025 and 2026 fund the first 16 aircraft. Revenue from the Black Hawk Exchange and Sales Transaction (BEST) Program adds to that. The Army divests older airframes through BEST and reinvests the proceeds in new aircraft. Sikorsky says this approach avoids using taxpayer resources.
Modernisation plans
Sikorsky is fitting a more powerful engine and strengthening the airframe to increase payload and range. Further upgrades add launched effects, autonomy and a digital backbone built on a Modular Open Systems Approach. The company says this will keep the Black Hawk operating into the 2070s.
Col. Ryan Nesrsta, Project Manager for the Utility Helicopters Project Office, said the contract secures a ready, modern and survivable rotary-wing capability for the Army and its allies.
Industrial base
Sikorsky spends more than $1.5 billion a year with suppliers and supports about 55,000 US jobs. Over 11 years, Lockheed Martin has invested more than $1 billion in Sikorsky plants and laboratories in Connecticut, Alabama, Florida and New York. Ken Demaree, vice president for Army and Air Force Systems, said the workforce holds skills that take years to build and are hard to rebuild.
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