Jane Edwards
Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky subsidiary has introduced an industrialization plan that seeks to advance partnership with the German aerospace and defense industry in support of its effort to compete for the European country’s heavy lift helicopter program.
Sikorsky and Rheinmetall Group agreed to team up in February to offer the former’s CH-53K King Stallion helicopter for the German air force’s Schwerer Transporthubschrauber initiative, Lockheed said Wednesday.
“We look forward to our partnership with German industry to bring true heavy lift capability to every aspect of the German armed forces,†said Dan Schultz, president of Sikorsky.
Schultz added the CH-53K helicopter is designed to perform combat, disaster relief and humanitarian assistance missions.
The Sikorsky-Rheinmetall team will discuss plans for helicopter in-service sustainment support with German companies through an industry chalet as part of the five-day ILA Berlin Airshow that will kick off April 25 in Germany.
German defense contractors that will take part in the CH-53K industry chalet include Rockwell Collins’ German arm, Autoflug, Rohde & Schwarz, HYDRO Systems KG, Hensoldt, Jenoptik, Liebherr, ZF Luftfahrttechnik GmbH and MTU.
The U.S. Marine Corps is set to deploy the CH-53K helicopter in 2019.
