Stratford helicopter manufacturer Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. sent two of its S-92 helicopters to Afghanistan on Monday after the Federal Aviation Administration certified the aircraft to carry cargo and passengers.
The S-92s will be sent to the AAR Corp., which will use them for operations in Afghanistan to perform personnel and cargo lift missions for the U.S. Transportation Command. The Transportation Command provides transportation for the U.S. Department of Defense.
“Deployment to Afghanistan is a tremendous opportunity for AAR and the U.S. Government to see what the multi-mission S-92 aircraft is capable of in some very challenging flight conditions at high altitude,” said Ed Beyer, vice president for Sikorsky Global Helicopters, in a statement. “The unique interior configuration of these two aircraft also will give AAR greater mission flexibility to perform its utility and transport missions.”
AAR purchased the two S-92 in October after signing a deal with Transportation Command for $450 million to provide five years of flight service in Afghanistan. The S-92s will begin service in February. AAR already uses 15 other Sikorsky helicopters for various missions.
Sikorsky is a subsidiary of Hartford-based United Technologies Corp.
