June 20, 2007 -- Helicopter designer Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp., said Wednesday it received a $225 million order to provide 15 Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopters to the government of Colombia. The equipment will be supplied to Colombia through the U.S. Army as a Foreign Military Sale. Under the Foreign Military Sale program, the U.S. government purchases defense equipment on behalf of participating countries on a no-profit and no-loss basis, according to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency's Web site.

Sikorsky, which is based in Stratford, Conn., said the deal includes spare parts, support, and training. According to the company, Colombia plans to use the aircraft to fight narcotics trafficking and for national defense. In addition, Sikorsky said it intends to introduce a Black Hawk model specifically for the international market, which will be manufactured in Poland. The company expects deliveries to begin in 2010 and 2011. Shares of United Technologies, which is based in Hartford, Conn closed at $71.72 on Tuesday.

Source: Sikorsky