May 24—STRATFORD — Gov. Ned Lamont visited the Sikorsky Aircraft plant in Stratford Monday morning to sign a bill that could keep the Lockheed Martin subsidiary in the state until 2042.
The bill provides Lockheed Martin with $75 million in tax incentives over the next eight years, should Sikorsky win a government contract to be the U.S. Army's next supplier of Black Hawk or armed scout helicopters. The company would create as many as 7,500 full-time, high-paid jobs if awarded the contracts.
"We win this together, we're going to be able to win this on behalf of the suppliers, the workers, the people, the State of Connecticut and on behalf of peace and freedom over the next generation as well," Lamont said.
The bill had passed in the state legislature by a vote of 130-14 in the House and 34-1 in the Senate before being sent to the governor, who signed it into law alongside Sikorsky leadership and local and federal politicians.
"This was nearly a unanimous agreement in the legislature, and I think that reflects the value that this brings to the State of Connecticut, to Sikorsky, to our workforce," Sikorsky President Paul Lemmo said.
Sikorsky is competing with Texas-based Bell, owned by Textron Industries, for both contracts. Bell manufactures the UH-1 series of helicopters, commonly called the Huey. It also produces the tiltrotor V-22 Osprey with Boeing.
Sikorsky has proposed the Defiant-X for the Black Hawk contract, alongside Boeing, and the Raider-X for the armed scout helicopter proposal.
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said he is going to do "everything I can to make sure that Sikorsky wins" the bid for the helicopters.
Lamont said the first contract will "probably" be handed out in September. David Lehman, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development, said the second contract will be awarded in 2024.
Lehman previously said Sikorsky will only get the full amount should it get both contracts. If the company only gets one contract, the deal falls to $50 million.
Lamont said the deal will keep 8,000 jobs in Connecticut "at a minimum."
"It'll attract new talent and taxpayers to our region and will bolster our state's reputation of providing a great place for aerospace companies to come and establish foundations for the future," Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz said at the event.
Lamont said he was not worried that the jobs potentially added by Sikorsky would strain local markets.
"We're ready," Lamont said. "We'll provide the housing as needed. We'll provide the training as needed. These are good-paying jobs right here in Connecticut."
Lamont said they are going to work to make sure there is "worker related housing."
"I'm going to make sure they have everything they need to meet and exceed the contract," he said.
Sikorsky inked a $3.8 billion deal with the government in 2017 for 257 H-60 Black Hawk helicopters and a $556.1 million deal in 2019 to build another round of helicopters.
Former Gov. Dan Malloy made a $220 million deal with Sikorsky in 2016 to keep the company in the state until 2032. This deal would extend the company's stay another 10 years at a minimum.
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