Sikorsky Aircraft has filed a formal protest with the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) over the U.S. Army”™s decision to bypass the Stratford-based company and offer a Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) contract to Bell to build a new aircraft that will replace its Sikorsky-built UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter fleet.
The Bell contract is the first installment in what could lead to a $7.1 billion deal for development and production of the new helicopters. However, the contract awarded is for a “virtual prototype” and not an actual aircraft ”“ the initial prototype could come in 2025, but the Army would need to issue more contracts to reach that stage of development.
The Army has been using the UH-60 Black Hawk in combat since the 1970s. Bell successfully pitched the V-280, a tiltrotor aircraft similar to the V-22 Osprey, which the Army favored over a Sikorsky-Boeing proposed coaxial helicopter that uses two stack rotors spinning in opposite directions.
“The data and discussions lead us to believe the proposals were not consistently evaluated to deliver the best value in the interest of the Army, our Soldiers and American taxpayers,” said Sikorsky and its parent company, Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT), in a statement. “The critical importance of the FLRAA mission to the Army and our nation requires the most capable, affordable and lowest-risk solution. We remain confident Defiant X is the transformational aircraft the Army requires to accomplish its complex missions today and well into the future.”
Gov. Ned Lamont released a statement supporting Sikorsky”™s request for a GAO review.
“I spoke this afternoon with Sikorsky President Paul Lemmo and I fully support the company”™s decision to request an independent review regarding how the decision to award this contract was conducted,” Lamont said. “I remain confident that Sikorsky is the best and most capable company to deliver this next generation aircraft to the U.S. Army and that Connecticut”™s exceptionally skilled workforce is the best trained in the country to manufacture this aircraft. A thorough evaluation of the process and each of the proposals is in the best interests of the military and the American taxpayers.”
