Lockheed's Sikorsky seeks review of Black Hawk replacement contract

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The company, which filed its protest with the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), said it had partner Boeing (NYSE:BA) Co’s support.

Earlier this month, the Army ended a years-long competition aimed at finding a replacement for the Black Hawk utility helicopter after it assigned the contract to Textron’s unit.

The contract is potentially worth around $70 billion – over decades – depending on how many are ordered, according to the Army, which is looking to retire more than 2,000 medium-class UH-60 Black Hawk utility helicopters built by Sikorsky since the 1970s.

The filing of a protest by Lockheed and Boeing triggers a formal legal review from the GAO and requires a decision within 100 days, the agency said.

The Army acknowledges Sikorsky’s decision to file for protest and will comply with GAO’s requirements, said a spokesperson for U.S. Army Program Executive Office – Aviation.

The Pentagon did not respond to a request for comment.