Acquisition: Lockheed buys helicopter icon Sikorsky – THE WORLD

After more than 45 years dares America’s leading defense contractor Lockheed Martin to return to the large helicopter business. For more than eight billion dollars Lockheed takes over, according to the Reuters news agency the long-established US helicopter manufacturer Sikorsky, which produces, among others, the military model Black Hawk. Sikorsky still belongs to the US technology company United Technologies (UTC). The separates under a reorganization for more than 80 years of the helicopter division, thus making Checkout.

For Lockheed, it would be the largest acquisition for 20 years. At the same time the defense group would set up more broadly as a key supplier of the Pentagon. Decades ago, four Lockheed competed with the experimental attack helicopter AH-56 Cheyenne to a large order of the US armed forces, came back then but not to train. Since then, the helicopter business <"prefix_1" h2 class => Airbus Helicopters languished at Lockheed on a low flame in front of him.

expressed interest

The announced departure of United Technologies (UTC) at Sikorsky arose for Lockheed a historic opportunity. Among the competitors in the battle for the helicopter manufacturer was in the finals even the US group Textron. Interest expressed initially, Airbus Helicopters. But the European manufacturer had never a realistic chance to take over, because a key enterprise of the US military would have hardly sold to a non-American.

The from Russian-American aviation pioneer Igor Ivanovich Sikorsky founded company is one of the veterans of the helicopter industry. With last 15,000 employees and 7.5 billion in revenue (2014), the focus in military helicopters, such as the model Black Hawk or new heavy-duty model CH-53K. Stir in the industry developing twin rotor models <"prefix_1" h2 class => Sikorsky ensures faster with a pusher prop at the rear, as the model S-97 Raider.

is in restructuring phase

Last year, Sikorsky also won the billion-dollar contract with the tender for the new helicopter fleet of the US president at the second attempt. Recently put Sikorsky but in a restructuring phase and built from staff.

Lockheed main competitor Boeing also has a helicopter division. So Boeing is building with the US manufacturer Bell the tiltrotor aircraft V-22 Osprey. These high-tech model was one example for helicopter fleet of the US President Barack Obama at the G-7 meeting at Schloss Elmau in June.

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