Lockheed Martin strikes $9bn deal to buy helicopter maker Sikorsky

Swoop for Black Hawk manufacturer opens new foreign markets for Lockheed, the Pentagon's largest arms supplier

Lockheed Martin is to buy Sikorsky, maker of the Black Hawk helicopter, from rival United Technologies Corporation (UTC) for $9bn (5.8bn), consolidating its position as the Pentagon's largest supplier.

The deal opens key foreign markets for arms manufacturer Lockheed, which dwarfs its nearest competitors, the defence business of Boeing, and Northrop Grumman, maker of the B-2 stealth bomber.