The Canadian government reportedly is withholding $200 million in payments to Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., saying the company is behind schedule on deliveries for maritime helicopters on order.
In 2004, Sikorsky won a $5 billion contract for 28 Cyclone helicopters designed for missions along Canada”™s coast. The Stratford manufacturer last month informed Ottawa that an engine and rotor redesign would increase the project”™s cost between 5 percent and 10 percent, according to Toronto”™s Globe and Mail newspaper.
Sikorsky President Jeffrey Pino was in Ottawa last week to discuss the issue, the newspaper reported. To date, Sikorsky has received $700 million in payments.
Sikorsky is the largest employer in Fairfield County with more than 8,300 local employees. The manufacturer is a subsidiary of Hartford-based United Technologies Corp.
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