Acting Navy secretary tours Sikorsky, Electric Boat

The Acting Secretary of U.S. Navy Thomas Harker visited Sikorsky in Stratford on Wednesday to see the production of CH-53K King Stallion helicopters, which the aircraft company is manufacturing for Navy use. The tour followed a visit by Harker to General Dynamics Electric Boat in Groton and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and Naval Submarine Base in New London on Tuesday.

“Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas W. Harker traveled to New England to visit public and private organizations,” said Lt. Ashley Nekoui, spokeswoman for Harker. “During his visit to Sikorsky he viewed current operational efforts and met with personnel to discuss industrial base economic wellness and workforce health. During his trip, he also visited institutions in the region with long-standing contributions to the development of the maritime services, and the education and maturation of future naval leaders.”

Connecticut is a key manufacturer of helicopters and submarines for the U.S. Navy and other military branches.

Specifically, Sikorsky is the producer of the U.S. military’s largest helicopters. Owned by defense contractor Lockheed Martin Corp., Sikorsky builds multiple models of helicopters used by the U.S. Navy for purposes like search and rescue, medical evacuations, anti-submarine warfare and mine-sweeping.

U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-3, the top House Democrat in charge of federal spending, and U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, joined Harker, Sikorsky President Paul Lemmo and Stephanie Hill, executive vice president of Rotary and Mission Systems for Lockheed Martin, for the visit, DeLauro said.

The group received a private tour of the factory floor to check out the manufacturing of the CH-53K King Stallion, a new helicopter model designed for heavy lifting, and the presidential helicopters. They also discussed aircraft Sikorsky will make, DeLauro said.