Spirit AeroSystems receives $60m contract from Sikorsky Aircraft

Spirit AeroSystems, Inc. has received a $60 million contract from Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. to supply the major structural cockpit and cabin components of four additional CH-53K heavy lift helicopters. Designated System Demonstration Test Articles (SDTA), the four production-representative aircraft will be used by the U.S. Marine Corps to evaluate the helicopter’s mission capabilities in service operating conditions.

“We are pleased to be moving forward with Sikorsky to the next phase of hardware and systems testing. The CH-53K program is now one step closer to providing critical heavy lift capability to the Marines,” said David Coleal, executive vice president/general manager of Spirit AeroSystems. “We thank Sikorsky and the U.S. Navy for their confidence in our ability to design and build fuselages and cockpits that meet the requirements for this important mission.”

SDTA aircraft are expected to enter Operational Evaluation in 2017, when the Marine Corps will verify the CH-53K helicopter’s capability to carry 27,000 pounds over 110 nautical miles under “high hot” ambient conditions. The new capability will nearly triple the external load carrying capacity of the current CH-53E Super Stallion™ helicopter.