The U.S. government and Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, have signed a five-year contract for 257 H-60 Black Hawk helicopters to be delivered to the U.S. Army and overseas customers.

The contract value for expected deliveries is approximately $3.8 billion and includes options for an additional 103 aircraft, with the total contract value potentially reaching $5.2 billion. Actual production quantities will be determined year-by-year over the life of the program based on funding allocations set by Congress and Pentagon acquisition priorities. The deliveries are scheduled to begin in October of this year and continue until 2022.

“Four decades of production, strong program execution and delivery on behalf of the warfighter, coupled with great affordability for the taxpayer, have been the cornerstones of this program,” said Sam Mehta, President, Defense Systems and Services, Sikorsky. “This contract allows us to continue supporting the important missions the Black Hawk performs as the workhorse utility and medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) helicopter in the U.S. Army inventory.”

Colonel Billy Jackson, Utility Helicopters Project Manager, added: “The contract will provide our Army, sister services and allies with state-of-the-art modernized helicopters to complete crucial missions and save lives. Moreover, this effort will stabilize our manufacturing base and control long-term costs, and ultimately provide significant savings to the taxpayer.”