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New York • Aircraft maker Sikorsky said Thursday it received a $1.28 billion contract to build a new combat rescue helicopter for the Air Force.
The company said it will develop a new version of the Black Hawk helicopter and deliver four helicopters to the U.S. Air Force by 2020. Sikorsky will also provide crew and maintenance training systems.
The company said the Air Force could expand the contract and order as many as 112 helicopters. The contract could potentially be worth $7.9 billion, it said.
In March, the Air Force said it was moving forward with plans to have Sikorsky build the helicopter, but said Pentagon budget cuts could affect the program.
Sikorsky is a division United Technologies Corp., which is based in Hartford, Connecticut.