Hartford – U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) issued a joint statement today praising the Air Force decision to award Sikorsky a $1.3 billion contract to replace the aging HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter fleet. This is the first installment of potentially $7.9 billion to purchase 112 new Combat Rescue Helicopters. Last November, Blumenthal, Murphy and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) fought to save the Combat Rescue Helicopter program following reports that it was on the chopping block due to sequestration.

“Rescuing downed warfighters is a core, non-debatable mission, and we applaud the Air Force for moving forward with this important investment. Sikorsky-made helicopters are second to none, and this contract will be in a win-win for both taxpayers and our brave servicemen and women who rely on these helicopters both in combat and disaster relief operations. The current Pave Hawk fleet has deteriorated and must be replaced as soon as possible, and we are confident that Sikorsky and its highly-skilled Connecticut workforce will deliver the best, most cost-effective aircraft on the market worldwide,” Blumenthal and Murphy said.