Defense Ministry Director-General and IDF Major-General (ret) Amir Eshel is on a working visit in the United States, where he spent time Monday at the Lockheed-Martin-Sikorsky factory in Stratford, Connecticut to inspect the production line for the CH-53K “King Stallion” helicopter purchased by the Jewish State.
Israel will acquire 12 of the heavy-lift transport helicopters – the most advanced copter of its kind worldwide – for the Israel Air Force.
According to Lockheed, the aircraft is designed to be “intelligent, reliable, low maintenance and survivable in the most austere and remote forward operating bases.”
Production on the helicopter is set to begin in the coming months, the ministry said.
Eshel was accompanied on the visit by the head of the ministry’s procurement mission, Brigadier-General (res) Michel Ben Baruch.
They met with Sikorsky president Paul Lemmo, and Lockheed-Martin Israel CEO Brigadier-General (res) Joshua (Shiki) Shani to discuss the project and the company’s cooperation with Israeli defense industries.
