Sikorsky gets Polish-assembled S-70i for Turkish contract

MIELEC, Poland, June 24 (UPI) -- The first S-70i Black Hawk helicopter for a Turkish utility helicopter program has been received by Sikorsky from its Polish subsidiary.

The Sikorsky helicopter assembled by PZL Mielec is to be used as a prototype for the Turkish T70 helicopters, which are to be built under license in Turkey by Turkish Aerospace Industries.

Lockheed Martin, parent company of Sikorsky, said Sikorsky will fly the S-70i next year to Turkey, where it will become the engineering development test bed for a new avionics suite being co-developed by Sikorsky and Turkish defense electronics company Aselsan.

The two companies will use the aircraft to integrate, flight test and qualify the avionics suite, which is designed to the preferences of the T70 user community.

The S-70i is the international version of the UH-60 Black Hawk used by the U.S. military.

Over the next two years, PZL will manufacture the first five cabin structures that TAI will assemble onto the first five T70 aircraft. PZL personnel also will provide technical and manufacturing assistance and training to TAI both in Turkey and Poland.

TAI is to build and deliver a total of 300 T70 helicopters (109 baseline + 191 options) to six Turkish agencies: the Land Forces, Air Force, Gendarme, Special Forces, National Police, and the Directorate General of Forestry.