Sikorsky's HSI Subsidiary Selects Thales to Provide Flight Control Components for LUH Program

DUXFORD, England, Oct. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Helicopter Support Inc. (HSI), the primary aftermarket service provider to EADS North America Defense Light Utility Helicopters (LUH) Program, announced today at the 2007 Helitech exhibition that Thales will provide critical flight control replacement components for the worldwide program. HSI is a unit of Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. .

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HSI provides service and logistics solutions to commercial and military fleets around the globe and is part of Sikorsky's Worldwide Customer Service organization. "Our selection of Thales as a leader in supplying mission- critical components, combined with HSI's ability and reach to process those parts efficiently and globally, translates to increased aircraft uptime and customer satisfaction," said David Adler, Sikorsky Senior Vice President, Worldwide Customer Service.

EADS North America Defense recently received full-rate production approval to build the UH-72A Lakota light utility helicopters for the U.S. Army under a 10-year, $2 billion procurement that is expected to include 322 aircraft based on current projections.

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

Thales is a leading international electronics and systems group, addressing defence, aerospace and security markets worldwide. The group builds its growth on its unique multi-domestic strategy based on trusted partnerships with national customers and market players, while leveraging its global expertise to support local technology and industrial development. Thales employs 68,000 people in 50 countries.

This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning future business opportunities. 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 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.