Sikorsky Aircraft has announced it will lay off as many as 400 employees because the U.S. Army has canceled plans for a new helicopter.
The move will probably not affect the state economy, according to David Cadden, an industry analyst and professor emeritus at Quinnipiac University.
He said the expected layoffs are mostly skilled mechanical engineers, who other employers should easily absorb.
“I could see many of them going to subcontractors in the aerospace industry. I could also see many of them going to other industries within Connecticut. But sometimes when these things occur you do see a necessity of a migration of some of the talent to other states,” Cadden said.
Sikorsky has unmanned and tilt-wing aircraft projects in the pipeline to keep it manufacturing in the future.
“Initially for the commercial environment but it also could possibly fill some of the needs that the Army would have for military capabilities,” Cadden said.
In the meantime, Sikorsky continues to market Black Hawk helicopters to foreign militaries and has a new fleet of cargo helicopters for the U.S. Marines.
U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) said it's unfortunate that Sikorsky Aircraft will lay off 400 employees.
“As the top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, I will continue to push the Army for clarity on their budget request and ensure that our war fighters have the best aircraft available for their missions. And I want the company to remain competitive with the ability to create high skilled, good paying jobs here in Connecticut,” Delauro said.
The aircraft manufacturer, a division of Lockheed Martin Aerospace, is headquartered in DeLauro’s district.
She said her office is working with Sikorsky and the state to help the laid off workers find new jobs in Connecticut.
