Details of the Pentagon Deal
The agreement, a firm-fixed-price modification of an earlier contract, was not open to competition, according to the Department of Defense. The modification consolidates five procurement lots—numbers 9 through 13—into a single five-year buy running from 2029 through 2034. Nearly 270 suppliers across 37 states will contribute to the production push.
Sikorsky has already delivered 20 of the aircraft to the Marine Corps and has 63 more in various stages of production from earlier lots.
Program Leaders Applaud the Momentum
Col. Kate Fleeger, who oversees the Navy’s H-53 Heavy Lift Helicopter Program Office, called the award “a huge win for the entire CH-53K team.” She emphasized that combining orders allows Sikorsky to leverage bulk pricing, stabilize production schedules, and ensure “a dependable delivery to the fleet.”
The streamlined procurement also provides predictability in the Marines’ transition from the CH-53E to the CH-53K, a move seen as vital for maintaining U.S. military heavy-lift dominance into the next decade.
