Sikorsky [UTX] has topped Finmeccanica‘s AgustaWestland in the potential $3.5 billion Turkish competition for 109 helicopters,
Turkish Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul April 21 announced the Turkish Defense Industry Executive Committee selected Sikorsky, after he met with the undersecretariat of defense industries, known as SSM.
Sikorsky President Jeffrey Pino said, “For many years, Sikorsky Aircraft and Turkish industry have collaborated on aerostructures and dynamic component parts, so this contract would follow a long-standing tradition of cooperation. Sikorsky looks forward to entering into this expanded partnership with Turkey to meet their present and future rotorcraft needs.”
Development of the T-70 Black Hawk, a derivative of the S-70 helicopter, will be produced in Turkey under an agreement between Sikorsky and Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI). An agreement is expected before the end of the year.
“The Turkish Utility Helicopter, derived from the Black Hawk helicopter, will be an advanced, combat-proven, multi-mission helicopter that can meet all of the mission and performance requirements,” said Mick Maurer, president of Sikorsky Military Systems. “The configuration of the T-70 baseline helicopter is based on the S-70i Black Hawk helicopter.”
Sikorsky’s S-70i Black Hawk is an international variant of the Black Hawk helicopter assembled at PZL Mielec in Poland–built in Europe using a global supply chain (Defense Daily, March 16, 2010).
The helicopter, a new aircraft in the Sikorsky product line, also is the first rotory wing aircraft to be produced at PZL Mielec, a longtime fixed wing manufacturer in Poland.
In an April 22 statement, Sikorsky said the aircraft would be assembled in Turkey by TAI as the prime contractor and would include components supplied by Sikorsky and other companies–both Turkish and American.
As part of its contract proposal, Sikorsky will invest in expanding the dynamic components manufacturing capability of Alp Aviation, which is 50 percent owned by Sikorsky, the company said.
Additionally, the industrialization proposal would allow Turkish industry access to the Sikorsky global supply chain, including sale of Turkish assembled aircraft to future Sikorsky international customers, the company said.
The Defense Industry Executive Committee said Turkey would also gain the right to make direct sales of the model to other countries–estimating a market for more than 600 such helicopters over the next 20 years, which would include future requirements by Turkey.
The expected 10-year contract also would call for aftermarket support that would include training and maintenance, leveraging Sikorsky’s and Turkey’s existing maintenance infrastructure to provide service, parts and components worldwide.
The Turkish army currently operates S-70 Black Hawk helicopters.