Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, targets three significant first flights in 2026 amid advancing its rotorcraft portfolio. The hybrid-electric demonstrator HEX, developed with GE Aerospace, leads the lineup. Disclosed at Heli-Expo on 7 March, HEX features a CT7 turboshaft engine, 1MW generator, power electronics, and Sikorsky’s Matrix technology for autonomy. Weighing 7,000-8,000lb maximum gross weight, it supports single-pilot operations with a cockpit configuration under review. Igor Cherepinsky, Sikorsky innovations director, describes it as “not a conventional rotorcraft,” optimized for flight phase powertrains including a battery pack for emergency use. Paul Lemmo, Sikorsky president, eyes civil and military applications.
Israeli CH-53K King Stallion helicopters follow, with the first of 12 entering production at Stratford, Connecticut. A $2 billion deal under U.S. Navy Foreign Military Sales includes options for six more; initial arrival shifts to 2028 despite 2026 plans. Powered by three GE T408 engines, the type offers 261 kph cruise, 852 km range, fly-by-wire avionics, and triple the cargo of predecessors.
A major U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk order, the 11th and likely final, awaits award in late 2026, sustaining production into the 2030s. Meanwhile, CH-53K full-rate production ramps at Stratford, targeting 24 units yearly for U.S. Marine Corps’ 200-aircraft goal, following a $10.8 billion contract for up to 99 more.