Sikorsky Looks Ahead

After winning several major program contracts last year year, including the Combat Rescue Helicopter and the presidential helicopter, Sikorsky is seeing "much more certainty 20 years out than there is in the next five years," according to one company executive.

Samir Mehta, president of defense systems and services at Sikorsky, told reporters at a roundtable today that its recent wins are still in the developmental phase.

"The good news is we've won those programs, and that's what creates the confidence that far out," he said. But in "current production programs, we still see a lot of pressure associated with budgets to be able to buy existing programs."

He noted that Sikorsky's MH-60S and MH-60R are both going out of production. "That's creating potentially a dip in the next few years," Mehta said.

"We have to make sure that we do enough in the short-term with our production side so that we bridge the gap to when these programs go into production," he said.

Mehta added that Sikorsky fared well in the fiscal year 2016 budget released this week.

"The [president's budget] had some stability in it for us as it relates to '16," he said. "The problem is every year is a reset . . . While it's helpful, [it] doesn't necessarily go and allow you to do long-term planning when it comes to people, your supply chain."