Lockheed talks up autonomous Black Hawk as foreign sales jump

A year after losing out to Bell on a new U.S. Army workhorse, Sikorsky saw increased sales of its Black Hawk helicopter to other countries, even as it prepares to duel Bell again this year to win a contract for a new scout helicopter.

Sikorsky makes Black Hawks for the Army at its headquarters plant in Stratford and at a fuselage assembly factory in Bridgeport. A Poland factory also produces Black Hawks for other countries, freeing up space in Stratford for newer military programs like the CH-53K Sikorsky is producing for the U.S. Marine Corps and Israel.

“There’s interest in Congress for modernization of the Black Hawk — there is a huge fleet out there,” said Lockheed Martin CEO Jim Taiclet, speaking Tuesday morning on a conference call. “By adding some of these digital capabilities like autonomy and AI to the Black Hawk — which is a really reliable platform that’s out flying in units today in great numbers and across our allies — that’s a real value opportunity for the Army and Marine Corps and others that use the helicopter.”