Sikorsky Announces Teaming Agreement with Saab to Support Sweden’s BLACK HAWK Helicopters

June 21, 2011 defpro.com

PARIS, France | Sikorsky Aerospace Services announced today the signing of a teaming agreement at the Paris Air Show with the Swedish defence and security company Saab to support the fleet of 15 UH-60M helicopters recently purchased by the Swedish Defense Materiel Administration (FMV). Sikorsky Aerospace Services (SAS) is the aftermarket division of Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp.

Under the teaming agreement, SAS and Saab, Sweden’s largest defense contractor, will provide logistics support for the UH-60M BLACK HAWK helicopters. The program, designated HKP 16, will be operated by the Swedish Air Force in Linköping, the main base for maintenance, inspections and repairs. The agreement will commence when the first UH-60M helicopter is delivered later this year.

“We look forward to working with Saab to ensure this powerful aircraft operates at peak readiness rates and enables the Swedish Air Force to successfully conduct their missions,” said David Adler, President of Sikorsky Aerospace Services.

The purchase of the 15 Sikorsky UH-60M BLACK HAWK helicopters by the FMV under the U.S. Government’s Foreign Military Sales program was announced last month. The Swedish Armed Forces intend to use the aircraft for medical evacuation, utility, and search and rescue missions.

“This is yet another key step in our efforts regarding maintenance, support and training in the helicopter field. Our collaboration with Sikorsky means that we are building up expertise with regard to Sweden's new helicopter system that has recently been purchased from the USA,” said Lars-Erik Wige, Senior Vice President and Head of Business Unit Support and Services, Saab AB.

The UH-60M helicopter is the latest version in the long and highly successful BLACK HAWK family. It provides additional payload and range, advanced digital avionics, improved handling qualities and situational awareness, active vibration control, and improved survivability compared with the predecessor UH-60L model.

The BLACK HAWK helicopter is well known for its ruggedness, survivability and mission flexibility, having logged more than 9 million flight hours since the first model was introduced in 1978. Worldwide, approximately 2,700 are in operation today. Sweden will become the 26th nation to operate BLACK HAWK helicopters and only the second in Europe, where Austria operates UH-60L models. Sikorsky is scheduled to deliver six of the helicopters in 2011 and the remainder in 2012 under an accelerated production schedule.