Sikorsky has joined forces with Rheinmetall to compete in the German Air Force's "Schwerer Transporthubschrauber," or heavy transport helicopter program.

Rheinmetall and Sikorsky, the latter owned by Lockheed Martin, signed a strategic teaming agreement to deliver the German air force its next generation of heavy lift helicopters, the companies announced on Tuesday.

"With Rheinmetall as the strategic partner for Sikorsky, we are convinced that together we provide the best possible state-of-the-art aircraft for the German Air Force as successor for the legacy CH-53G fleet," Armin Papperger, CEO of Rheinmetall, said in a press release.

"Furthermore, we stand strongly together in offering a cost-effective, reliable solution oriented to the needs of today's operations, and able to evolve with the armed forces as its needs change over time."

In the coming weeks, the companies say they will also look to "add more German teammates."

"Sikorsky has a 45-year history supporting the German armed forces fleet of CH-53G aircraft, and we are humbled by the opportunity to continue to serve the German armed forces for another 45 years with Sikorsky's CH-53K," Dan Schultz, president of Sikorsky, said in a press release.

"As a former CH-53 pilot, I can attest that this aircraft is truly the most capable heavy lift helicopter we have ever built. Sikorsky's CH-53K, combined with Rheinmetall as our key German partner, is a winning solution for STH."

The CH-53K King Stallion aircraft is a newly-minted aircraft that uses modern intelligent design, according to the companies. The aircraft is specifically designed to ensure "reliability, low maintenance, high availability and enhanced survivability in the most austere and remote forward operating bases."

The U.S. Marine Corps is scheduled to field the CH-53K in 2019. Germany would be expected to add the aircraft to their fleet in 2024, the companies said.

New Black Hawk weapon system passes qualification
Washington (UPI) Feb 5, 2018 –

Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, said Monday it has completed military standard qualifications for a newly-minted weapons system for Sikorsky-manufactured Black Hawk helicopters.

The comprehensive weapon system designed for the S-70M and S-70i Black Hawk helicopters can be integrated into existing avionics and provides the aircraft's pilot the ability to traverse rapidly between forward firing guns, rocket pods and laser-designated air-to-ground missile launchers onto static or moving targets with high accuracy, the company said.

"Sikorsky has vastly simplified the complex task of placing rounds onto a target from standoff distances by calculating the complex ballistics required for effective airborne gunnery," Bill Gostic, Sikorsky vice president of Global Military Systems & Services, said in a press release.

"Once the weapons interfaces and electro-optical infrared sensor are integrated with the Black Hawk helicopter's existing controls and displays, international militaries can add external wings and weapons of choice in less than three hours to perform a range of medium attack missions," said Gostic.

Sikorsky says the weapons system program has been under development for six years, which included two years of live-fire tests at the U.S. Army's Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona. The development stage was completed in 2017.

Additionally, the weapons system underwent an in-house inspection for qualification assurance, and was verified through the "weapons system's effectiveness and conformance to operational safety, airworthiness and firing accuracy."

The weapons are carried by two external wings that can support four variant weapon stations such as 50-caliber machine guns and Hellfire air-to-ground missiles, with the added addition of pilot-controlled fixed forward or crew served flex fire 7.62-mm mini-guns mounted to both cabin windows.

The new weapons system allows the military to customize the aircraft for a number of medium range assaults and security missions, Sikorsky said.