Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation's Military Derivatives Completion Center (MDCC) has successfully achieved its first flight of a Naval Hawk helicopter. This initial helicopter, produced at the Sikorsky HAWK WORKS Schweizer Aircraft, is an S-70B helicopter. Sikorsky is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp.

The aircraft achieved first flight on Aug. 28 and is expected to be delivered to an international military customer in the first quarter of 2009, after an engineering flight test program. The identity of the customer was not disclosed.

The MDCC, branded by Sikorsky as the HAWK WORKS(TM), is the primary completion center for Sikorsky's military helicopter derivatives. Helicopters requiring customized configurations for a range of specialized missions are completed at the MDCC facility.

"This is a very exciting and busy time here," said HAWK WORKS General Manager Randy Simpson. "We have been eagerly awaiting our first flight and look forward to many more milestones here at the MDCC," said Simpson.

The MDCC is part of Schweizer Aircraft Corporation, which is a subsidiary of Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. Construction of the MDCC started in November 2006, and the first aircraft was inducted in October 2007. Currently the MDCC has S- 70B helicopters, UH-60L helicopters and MH-60S helicopters on site. Numerous programs are either in production or in the planning stages at the Schweizer location. This initial flight is the first of many scheduled to take place at the MDCC.

Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., based in Stratford, Conn., is a world leader in helicopter design, manufacture, and service. The company's long commitment to safety and innovation is reflected in its mission statement: "We pioneer flight solutions that bring people home everywhere ... every time(TM)." United Technologies Corp., based in Hartford, Conn., provides a broad range of high-technology products and support services to the aerospace and building systems industries.