Sikorsky Aircraft Set to Open New Engineering Center in Fort Worth Region

STRATFORD, Conn., Nov. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sikorsky Aircraft will open a new engineering center in Fort Worth, Texas, in 2007 to support the company's growing U.S. government, commercial, and aftermarket business. Sikorsky Aircraft, based in Stratford, Conn., is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX).

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The new 25,000 square foot facility located at First Command Plaza will be staffed with 100 or more experienced aerospace professionals drawn mostly from the Fort Worth-Dallas area. Upcoming job fairs are set to begin in January.

Particular skill sets required include dynamic system design and analysis, avionic systems integration, and aircraft handling qualities. The facility will duplicate the IT hardware found in Sikorsky's main facilities in Connecticut and West Palm Beach, Fla. This will allow the Fort Worth Engineering Center to operate real-time and seamlessly with these and other Sikorsky facilities.

"Sikorsky is on pace to meet our plan of doubling revenues over the five year period between 2003-2008. The Fort Worth region is rich with experienced aerospace professionals who could make immediate and long-lasting contributions to some of the aerospace industry's most exciting development programs," said Mark Miller, Sikorsky vice president, engineering.

Current production programs at Sikorsky include the BLACK HAWK and Naval Hawk helicopters for the U.S. government and international customers, and the S-76(R) and S-92(TM) helicopters for civil customers. Development programs include the CH-53K for the US Marine Corps, the CH-148 Cyclone for the Canadian Maritime program, the new S-76D(TM) helicopter, BLACK HAWK and Naval Hawk upgrades, and the X2 Technology(TM) demonstrator.

Within the past year, Sikorsky has hired nearly 600 new engineers for its Connecticut and Florida operations and opened a new engineering center in Huntsville, Ala. The company has also opened engineering design centers staffed by third-party engineering service providers in Indiana, Kentucky and Montana.

In the coming weeks Sikorsky will post employment information and schedules for upcoming job fairs for engineers and skilled aerospace professionals in the Fort Worth-Dallas area at http://sikorskycareers.com.

Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation is a world leader in helicopter design, manufacturing and service. United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX), of Hartford, Conn., provides a broad range of high-technology products and support services to the aerospace and building systems industries.

This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning potential production and sale of helicopters. Actual results may differ materially from those projected as a result of certain risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to changes in government procurement priorities and practices, budget plans or availability of funding or in the number of aircraft to be built; challenges in the design, development, production and support of advanced technologies; as well as other risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those detailed from time to time in United Technologies Corporation's Securities and Exchange Commission filings.