Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. and the Turkish government have struck a $3.5 billion helicopter production deal that aims to strengthen Turkey’s multi-mission capabilities and aerospace export programs, Defense News reported Monday. Burak Ege Bekdil writes that Sikorsky will build utility helicopters with an industry team of Turkish contractors under the country’s …

The U.S. Marine Corps has recorded 1 million flight hours for its CH-53E Super Stallion fleet since the heavy-lift helicopter platform, manufactured by Lockheed Martin's Sikorsky subsidiary, entered service in 1981. Marines have used the aircraft to transport personnel, vehicles and equipment during amphibious assault and long-range insertion missions. Naval Air Systems Command said Wednesday. 

The Naval Air Systems Command will begin production for the Sikorsky VH-92A helicopter aircraft, USNI News reported Monday. The command received three helicopter units and is slated to make a milestone decision at the end of May in line with the aircraft's production. The military service expects the aircraft to enter initial operational capability in 2020 and full-production efforts in 2023.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is building a new artificial intelligence-based technology that would give military aircraft the capability to enhance flight safety, performance and reduce onboard crew members, FCW reported Wednesday.

The General Accountability Office published a report highlighting the development progress of a U.S. Navy initiative to replace its presidential helicopter fleet with the Sikorsky VH-92A aircraft. The VH-92A acquisition program decreased its developmental costs by four percent since its conception in April 2014 due to some changes in design, stable requirements and program efficiency, GAO said Thursday.

President Donald Trump has signed into law a spending bill that allocates $616.9 billion for the Defense Department‘s base budget, $21.9 billion for Energy Department nuclear weapons initiatives and $69 billion for overseas contingency operations, CNBC reported Monday. The fiscal 2019 National Defense Authorization Act will fully fund the U.S. Air Force’s B-21 bomber …

The U.S. has supplied Sikorsky-built Black Hawk helicopters to Jordan in support of efforts to reinforce border defenses and conduct cross-border operations against Islamic State militant group forces, Reuters reported Monday. The report noted the military aid to Jordan aims to help boost the country’s military capacities in support of a …

Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Thad Cochran (R- Mississippi) has proposed a defense policy bill that would allocate $581.3 billion in base budget, $64.9 billion in overseas contingency operations funds and $4.5 billion in emergency missile defense funds for fiscal year 2018, Defense News reported Tuesday. Cochran on Tuesday introduced the draft …

Afghanistan’s air force has inaugurated its first two UH-60A Black Hawk Helicopters as part of the military branch’s force modernization effort. The U.S. Air Force said Tuesday Afghan President Ashraf Ghani led a ribbon-cutting ceremony Saturday at Kandahar Airfield to mark the addition of the Sikorsky-built helicopters to the AAF fleet. The U.S. and …

The Defense Department‘s inspector general has called on the U.S. Army’s vice chief of staff to provide new equipment training to pilots that operate Sikorsky-built H-60 Black Hawk helicopters. The Army Aviation and Missile Command should collaborate with the Army Forces Command to facilitate compliance with guidelines on airframe condition evaluation among …