The U.S. Air Force said it has awarded a $1.28 billion contract to United Technologies subsidiary Sikorsky Aircraft to develop and build four combat rescue helicopters.
The contract is the first step in what could eventually be a $7.9 billion contract to build 112 helicopters, officials said. The helicopters will be used to evacuate wounded soldiers from hostile areas.
The Air Force announced in 2010 that it wanted to replace its current fleet of rescue helicopters — the HH-60G Pave Hawk — which it commissioned Sikorsky to build in the early 1980s. Pave Hawks have been used in multiple conflicts since, including the Iraq War.
Both the Pave Hawk and the new model Sikorsky is gearing up to build are modified versions of the company’s UH-60 Black Hawk.
The new model will have increased internal fuel capability, longer range, and more internal cabin space, Sikorsky said in an announcement.
