Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. opened a $20 million center in Stratford that will make precision components for the CH-53K helicopter Sikorsky is designing for the U.S. Marine Corps.
Sikorsky is the largest employer in Fairfield County and is a division of Hartford-based United Technologies Corp.
The Sikorsky Precision Components Technology Center was designed to allow quick changeover from one component to another, including for legacy configurations that are not part of future designs of the helicopter.
The new center will produce components for the CH-53K”™s rotors and rotor assembly, including hubs, sleeves and swashplates that control the pitch of rotor blades.
Forgings manufactured at the center will be twice as large as any to date produced in Stratford, reflecting the heavy-lift requirements of the helicopter, which is designed to carry triple the payload of the Marine Corps”™ existing transport helicopters.
The Department of Defense executed contracts for Sikorsky to manufacture 120 helicopters, at a value of $1.5 billion.
Under an existing procurement contract, the U.S. Army is spending $924 million to buy nearly 80 Black Hawk helicopters. Sikorsky is manufacturing more than 40 Seahawk helicopters for use by the U.S. Navy.
The aircraft will be built in Stratford through 2012.
