WARSAW, Poland (AP) -- Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. says it has built its first Black Hawk helicopter at a Polish facility that once helped arm the Soviet bloc.
The Stratford, Connecticut-based helicopter-maker and military contractor said Monday it has completed assembly of the first S-70i Black Hawk, an international variant of the helicopter, destined for European armies.
It was assembled at PZL Mielec, a fixed-wing aircraft manufacturer that Sikorsky bought three years ago and is modernizing. Sikorsky plans to produce 20 Black Hawks a year at the site in southeastern Poland starting in 2012.
The Black Hawk is a military workhorse used by the U.S. in Afghanistan and Iraq. It has been sold to other countries and is also used in civilian rescue missions.
