The Investor
30 Sep 2026, 18:31
Lockheed Martin and U.S. Army Reach Flexible Black Hawk Production Agreement
Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky unit and the U.S. Army reached a new production agreement for Black Hawk helicopters designed to accelerate deliveries for both U.S. and allied customers.
The initial agreement covers 16 aircraft for the U.S. Army, with the total expected to increase by more than 100 helicopters in coming years as requirements develop and foreign military sales cases mature. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2028.
The structure gives the Army flexibility to add aircraft as demand emerges while maintaining uninterrupted production across Sikorsky and its 230-supplier industrial base spanning 43 states.
Funding for the first 16 helicopters will come from fiscal 2025 and 2026 congressional appropriations as well as proceeds from the Black Hawk Exchange and Sales Transaction program, which allows the Army to reinvest revenue from divested older aircraft into new purchases.
Sikorsky is also continuing to modernize the Black Hawk platform with upgrades including more powerful engines, increased payload capacity, longer range, launched effects, autonomy and a Modular Open Systems Approach digital backbone.
More than 5,000 Black Hawk helicopters have been delivered to over 36 allied nations, accumulating more than 15 million flight hours. The agreement is intended to sustain the production base while giving the Army and international partners a faster path to new aircraft.
Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky unit and the U.S. Army reached a new production agreement for Black Hawk helicopters designed to accelerate deliveries for both U.S. and allied customers.
The initial agreement covers 16 aircraft for the U.S. Army, with the total expected to increase by more than 100 helicopters in coming years as requirements develop and foreign military sales cases mature. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2028.
The structure gives the Army flexibility to add aircraft as demand emerges while maintaining uninterrupted production across Sikorsky and its 230-supplier industrial base spanning 43 states.
Funding for the first 16 helicopters will come from fiscal 2025 and 2026 congressional appropriations as well as proceeds from the Black Hawk Exchange and Sales Transaction program, which allows the Army to reinvest revenue from divested older aircraft into new purchases.
Sikorsky is also continuing to modernize the Black Hawk platform with upgrades including more powerful engines, increased payload capacity, longer range, launched effects, autonomy and a Modular Open Systems Approach digital backbone.
More than 5,000 Black Hawk helicopters have been delivered to over 36 allied nations, accumulating more than 15 million flight hours. The agreement is intended to sustain the production base while giving the Army and international partners a faster path to new aircraft.
