Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. [UTX] and PZL Mielec, its company in Poland, recently announced the completion of final assembly on the first S-70iTM BLACK HAWK helicopter, an international variant of the Black Hawk helicopter.
This new international variant is the first Black Hawk helicopter assembled in Europe using a global supply chain.
The helicopter, a new aircraft in the Sikorsky product line, also is the first rotor wing aircraft to be produced at PZL Mielec, a longtime fixed wing manufacturer in Poland.
The aircraft, fully assembled at PZL Mielec, will be tested and qualified at Sikorsky’s Development Flight Center in West Palm Beach, Fla. Production flight tests are planned at PZL Mielec later this year as that facility continues to undergo modernization.
The milestone completion took place almost exactly three years to the day of PZL Mielec’s acquisition.
“In just three years, PZL Mielec has become a world-class facility capable of producing one of the finest utility helicopters operating today, the BLACK HAWK helicopter,” said Robert Kokorda, Sikorsky vice president, Corporate Strategy and Synergy. “The production of the S-70i Black Hawk helicopter here is expected to further the growing network of Polish companies participating in the building of Black Hawk aircraft for the world.”
PZL Mielec is planned to be the centerpiece of the S-70i BLACK HAWK helicopter program for international customers. Debra Zampano, S-70i program manager, International Military Programs, said, “Our innovative company spirit is alive and well, and the S-70i Black Hawk helicopter is an example of the collaboration of superb workmanship, advanced technology and pioneering legacy. With the S-70i Black Hawk helicopter officially joining the Sikorsky product family today, we look forward to seeing this aircraft take its rightful place in the global community as a Black Hawk helicopter for all nations.”
Plans call for approximately 20 S-70i BLACK HAWK helicopters to be produced per year, beginning in 2012.
Janusz Zakrecki, president of PZL Mielec added, “As we witness the unveiling of the first Black Hawk helicopter built in Poland, we are sharing the pride in this significant milestone as it signals the important contributions of PZL Mielec to the global aerospace marketplace. This aircraft is a product of the long line of Black Hawk helicopters that have become the most battle-proven helicopter in the world. As we continue in this tradition, Mielec today takes a major step in leading Poland’s aerospace industry into the future, with a proven aircraft that is ready to meet Polish requirements and enhance European military helicopter fleets.”