Looking At A Joint Danish Maritime Helicopter Program Opportunity

Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. and Terma A/S announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding Monday to explore potential collaborations if the Danish government decides to procure Sikorsky MH-60R Seawhak helicopters.  The government is currently evaluating alternatives including the MH-60R aircraft for a replacement maritime helicopter.  The MH-60R aircraft would be procured via the Foreign Military Sale (FMS) channel with the U.S. government and supported by Sikorsky. Terma A/S is a leading defense, aerospace and security company in Denmark with subsidiaries in the U.S., the Netherlands, Singapore and Germany.

"We see potentially strong synergies between our companies and the combined support they could bring to the Danish Maritime Helicopter Program," said Leonard Wengler, Vice President, Navy Programs for Sikorsky. "The MH-60R helicopter, dubbed the 'Romeo,' is the most advanced multi-mission naval helicopter available today with demonstrated effectiveness during deployment with the U.S. Navy in 2009. Terma's aerospace experience and expertise, including the production of advanced aerostructures and electronic warfare equipment, provide promising opportunities for collaboration."

We identify a substantial match between the two companies and are happy and proud to announce the signing of an MOU," said Jørn Henrik Levy Rasmussen, Vice President, Strategic Marketing, Terma. "We look forward to combining Sikorsky's and our core capabilities in respect of the maritime helicopter program and to investigating a shared number of exciting business opportunities in the international market."

The multi-mission MH-60R helicopter (file photo, above) is built by Sikorsky, with Lockheed Martin providing mission systems integration, and is designed to perform anti-submarine and surface warfare, search and rescue operations, vertical replenishment, medical evacuation, communications and data relay. The U.S. Navy plans to purchase a total of 300 MH-60R helicopters, and in July 2009 completed a highly successful six-month deployment of an MH-60R squadron with the U.S.S. John C. Stennis carrier strike group in the western Pacific.

FMI: www.sikorsky.com, www.termanorthamerica.com