U.S. Senator Charles Schumer announced on Tuesday that a multibillion dollar Combat Rescue Helicopter contract will be awarded in June, and the favorite to win the contract is Lockheed Martin and Sikorsky Aircraft. The Air Force will be realigning about $430 million from other priorities in order for the contract to be awarded in June, and the contract has a strong possibility of the Lockheed workforce in Owego handling the new helicopters’ modernized mission systems and other special equipment. The CRH program could create or sustain 200 jobs in Owego, which currently employs 2,600 workers but has laid off 90 employees since August. According to reports, the Air Force had previously stated that it would award the contract to the team of Lockheed and Connecticut-based Sikorsky, and Schumer says he is unaware of any other bidders in the process. Schumer was just in Owego in January when he announced that the fiscal year 2014 bill included over $333 million for the Air Force to improve the combat rescue helicopter program.
