US defence giant company Lockheed Martin is buying Sikorsky Aircraft from United Technologies Corp for 9 billion dollars, dpa reported. The acquisition is subject to regulatory approvals and is expected to close by year-end or early 2016, Lockheed said Monday. Taking tax benefits into account, the price stands at 7.1 billion dollars. Lockheed chief executive Marillyn Hewson said, "I'm confident this acquisition will help us extend our core business into the growing areas of helicopter production and sustainment." This would be Lockheed's biggest deal in 20 years, when it bought Martin Marietta Corporation. Sikorsky is one of the world's largest producers of helicopters, including the Black Hawk choppers used by the US military.
