June 30 (SeeNews) - US-based security and aerospace company Lockheed Martin said that in partnership with Romania’s aircraft construction and repair company Aerostar [BSE:ARS] it plans to open a Black Hawk helicopter maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility in the northeastern city of Bacau.
The MRO facility will be opened under a contract signed between the two companies in January and will be fully accredited and operational when the first of seven S-70 Black Hawk helicopters begin arriving in Romania later this year, Lockheed Martin said in a press release on Thursday.
The new facility comes on the back of a framework agreement for a fleet of up to twelve Black Hawks, signed by Romania’s interior ministry in November 2021 in order to serve the needs of the country’s emergency services. The contract was worth 269 million euro ($293.6 million), a representative of the Romanian General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (IGSU) said during a live stream of the signing ceremony at the time.
“This facility, when operational, will contribute to the creation and sustainment of high-skilled jobs in Romania,” Ray Piselli, vice president of international business at Lockheed Martin said. Operational costs will also be lowered for the Black Hawks while increasing readiness, he added.
The S-70 Black Hawk utility aircraft is built at Lockheed Martin’s PZL Mielec facility in Poland and features multi-mission versatility and military-grade airworthiness capable of operating in extreme weather conditions.
Aerostar specialises in repairing and upgrading military aircraft, producing light aircraft, hydraulic equipment for aviation and piston engines as well as electronics and other specialized equipment. In August 2020, Aerostar was also designated as a provider of maintenance services for Romana’s F-16 fighter jets.
Aerostar shares traded 2.42% higher at 8.5 lei ($1.9/1.7 euro) as at 1005 CET on Friday on the Bucharest Stock Exchange.
($=0.9161 euro)