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ISTANBUL: US, Turkey to build 600 Blackhawks

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  • ISTANBUL: US, Turkey to build 600 Blackhawks

    US, Turkey to build 600 Blackhawks
    ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News

    Sikorsky has agreed with the Turkish authorities to produce 100
    Blackhawk helicopters in Turkey. The parties are also planning to
    export Blackhawks to third parties. REUTERS photo

    Erdem GüneÅ?
    [email protected]

    Turkey and the U.S. are seeking to sell some 500 `made in Turkey'
    Blackhawk helicopters to third countries, according to Francis J.
    Ricciardone, the U.S. ambassador to Ankara. `We will see over 600
    Blackhawk helicopters, very high technology helicopters, produced here
    in Turkey. The great majority of these helicopters will go to third
    markets, third countries,' said Ricciardone during a Turkish-American
    business council lunch in Istanbul on May 4.

    Around one hundred of these helicopters will be used by the Turkish
    Armed Forces, the ambassador confirmed. U.S. firm Sikorsky Aircraft
    won a $3.5 billion competition in April 2011 to lead the production of
    more than 100 large utility helicopters for Turkey over Italy's
    AgustaWestland. The defense firm is mainly set to cooperate with local
    Alp Aviation in production. Along with Alp, Ricciardone said some
    other important firms would also contribute to the making of the
    utility helicopters.

    Sikorsky also became the first major international company to formally
    announce it would also seek to win the light utility helicopter
    contest in May last year. However, no exact date had been decided for
    the production of Blackhawks, said an Alp Aviation spokesperson.

    Possible buyers were also not clear yet, public relations
    representative Melek AkdoÄ?an told the Hürriyet Daily News during a
    phone interview on May 4.

    Riccardione also said that the U.S. supported Turkey's ambitious 2023
    target to become one of the world's largest 10 economies.

    `Yesterday I met with the representatives of Turkey's Economy Ministry
    and we had talks with more than 70 firms,' he said during his speech.

    `The ministry found a chance to show them all the opportunities in
    Turkey,' he said.

    The envoy also said that Turkey and the U.S. should cooperate more in
    the fields of defense, technology, information and aerospace, adding
    that the dynamism in the Turkish economy could be seen by the newly
    built roads, airports, residences and malls across the country.

    May/05/2012

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