Lockheed Martin said its subsidiary Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation was awarded a US Army contract worth $3.8 billion for Black Hawk helicopters for sale to Saudi Arabia, reported Reuters, citing Pentagon officials.

The contract for a multi-year production effort includes associated services for program system management, engineering, technical data and publications, stated the Pentagon officials.

According to Lockheed Martin, the "Multi-Year IX" contract for UH-60M Black Hawk and HH-60M medical evacuation (Medevac) aircraft marks the ninth multiple-year contract for Sikorsky and the US government for H-60 helicopters.

The contract includes options for an additional 103 aircraft, with the total contract value potentially reaching $5.2 billion. Actual production quantities will be determined year-by-year over the life of the program based on funding allocations set by Congress and Pentagon acquisition priorities.

The deliveries are scheduled to begin in October of this year and continue through 2022.

The UH-60M/HH-60M helicopters are the latest and most modern in a series of Black Hawk variants that Sikorsky has been delivering to the Army since 1978, said a top offiial.

"Four decades of production, strong program execution and delivery on behalf of the warfighter, coupled with great affordability for the taxpayer, have been the cornerstones of this program," remarked Sam Mehta, the president, Defence Systems and Services, Sikorsky.

"This contract allows us to continue supporting the important missions the Black Hawk performs as the workhorse utility and Medevac helicopter in the US Army inventory," he added.