Albany Engineered Composites wins ten-year contract for CH-53K helicopter assemblies
Selected by Lockheed-Sikorsky, AEC will leverage its composites expertise in engine and airframe applications to meet a 2023 delivery period.
![CH-53K heavy-lift cargo helicopter.](https://d2n4wb9orp1vta.cloudfront.net/cms/brand/CW/2022-CW/0222-cw-news-Sikorsky-CH53K-helicopter1.jpg;maxWidth=720)
CH-53K heavy-lift cargo helicopter. Photo Credit: Sikorsky Aircraft, AEC.
Albany Engineered Composites (AEC, Rochester, N.H., U.S.), subsidiary of Albany International Corp., has been selected by Lockheed Martin (Bethesda, Md., U.S.) subsidiary, Sikorsky Aircraft (Stratford, Conn., U.S.), to produce the complete aft transition assembly for the CH-53K heavy-lift cargo helicopter in a competitively bid ten-year long term agreement covering Lots 7 through 14. According to Lockheed, the choppers will be replacing the Israeli Air Force fleet of CH-53D Yasur helicopters.
Long-lead funding is already underway to support the schedule and the contract is expected to be finalized in the first quarter of 2022, with first deliveries in 2023.
“We are excited and honored to be adding this additional content to our current production of sponsons and tail rotor pylon assemblies for the world’s next-generation heavy-lift helicopter,” says Greg Harwell, AEC president. “This agreement signifies the successful and growing relationship between Sikorsky and Albany.”
AEC designs and manufactures advanced engineered composite components for engine and airframe applications for commercial and military aircraft, missiles and unmanned vehicles, and for renewable energy creation and distribution. AEC says its specialty composite solutions enable current and next-generation aircraft to perform better while being more fuel-efficient, cost-effective and environmentally friendly.
Related Content
-
Industrializing additive manufacturing in the defense/aerospace sector
GA-ASI demonstrates a path forward for the use of additive technologies for composite tooling, flight-qualified parts.
-
2022 Farnborough International Air Show highlights
Farnborough, as usual, provided a platform for a variety of announcements in the aerospace, defense and advanced air mobility spaces from companies like GKN Aerospace, Joby, Airbus, Rolls-Royce, Boom Supersonic and others.
-
Lockheed Martin expands development, production of ultra-high temp CMCs with facility expansion
Targeting current and future needs in hypersonic and aeronautics applications, Lockheed Martin Skunk Works’ Allcomp team is increasing and digitizing its capabilities in ceramic matrix composite (CMC) materials and parts fabrication.