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Back in June 2005, DID covered a Memorandum of Understanding between Sikorsky and the government of Turkey to buy 12-17 S-70 Seahawk helicopters for the Turkish Navy. Sikorsky just announced that it has managed to turn that MoU into a contract with the Ministry of National Defense, Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM) for 17 new S-70B Seahawks, with first deliveries to begin in a year later than originally envisioned in 2009. Lockheed informs us that the total contract is for $530 million, but that includes aircraft, a retrofit program for Turkey's other S-70Bs, ongoing support, and a host of other aspects.
This Lot 2 agreement, which adds to the Turkish Navy's current inventory of 7 S-70B Seahawks remaining from its 2001 order of 8, includes industrial offsets worth 50% of the contract's value. Sikorsky President Jeffrey Pino said that this contract builds on the industrial cooperation foundations established under the prior Sikorsky-Turkey Black Hawk helicopter programs. |
