Wed, Aug 18, 2010
Debate Centers On The State And Congressional
District Sikorsky Calls Home
Two Republican candidates in Connecticut who are hoping to win
seats in Congress this fall which are currently held by Democrats
made a Navy plan to buy Russian helicopters an issue in their
campaigns.
NAVAIR (Naval Air Systems Command) is considering the purchase
of Russian-made MI-17 helicopters for use in Afghanistan, saying
that Afghan pilots are already familiar with the operation and
flight characteristics of the aircraft. Sikorsky contends that its
S-61 helicopter is comparable, and wants to bid on the NAVAIR
contract. The company has gone so far as to file a formal protest
with the U.S. GAO earlier this month.
One of the seats, Connecticut's third CD, is home to Sikorsky.
Republican Jerry Labriola is challenging Democrat Rosa DeLauro for
the seat. He told Fox News "Sikorsky is a great plant with great
people and I don't think they're getting the proper
representation."
Linda McMahon, who is running for Senate in Connecticut, said in
a letter to Fox News "It is outrageous to me that Sikorsky wasn't
afforded the opportunity to bid on this contract. The Pentagon has
both a fiscal responsibility and a patriotic responsibility to, at
a minimum, allow American manufacturers to compete with
foreign firms for these important contracts, particularly given
that Sikorsky's helicopters are the world standard in military
helicopters." The Senate seat is open following the retirement of
Democrat Chris Dodd, and McMahon is running against Democrat Dick
Blumethal, the state's Attorney General.
Mi-17 File Photo
Neither Democrat has discussed the helicopter deal.
For its part, the Pentagon says the purchase of the MI-17's is a
"stop gap" measure and that there will be plenty of opportunity for
competitive bidding in the future. Pentagon officials said in a
statement it is "committed to expanding the Afghan Air Force from
35 Mi-17s to 56 Mi-17s to meet immediate operational requirements,
while also identifying alternative platforms for addressing
longer-term needs."
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