Vertical Lift completes late-year sprint to deliver 25 aircraft

Vertical Lift completes late-year sprint to deliver 25 aircraft

By Luis Delgadillo Operational Business Center Public Affairs

Three product-aligned Defense Contract Management Agency Vertical Lift contracting offices completed a late-year operational sprint to accept 25 new aircraft for joint warfighters during November and December of 2025.

The effort demonstrated key abilities of the DCMA Vertical Lift command in Stratford, Connecticut, its office in West Palm Beach, Florida, and the DCMA Vertical Lift command in Owego, New York, to match pace with contractor efforts, particularly flight operations, to deliver aircraft to warfighters.

"Vertical Lift Stratford and Owego commands are clearly a team of teams that achieves extraordinary success and reflects the hard work and professionalism we strive for across the Systems Command enterprise," said Jorge Bennett, executive director of DCMA Systems Command, the higher echelon operational command to which the offices report. "That you executed safely, with urgency, and with steadfast tenacity is evidence to your unwavering hunger for mission accomplishment."

As a part of the acceptance of the 25 aircraft, the three offices completed 21 government acceptance flights, and 14 aircraft ferries to military and government customers.

"Your efforts are a testament to our collective mission and the capabilities we bring to the joint force," said Bennett.

According to Army Maj. Jared Joyce, deputy program integrator for the Army Black Hawk program with DCMA Vertical Lift Stratford, the teams were able to surge and accept more than 30% of 2025's anticipated aircraft deliveries in the last 10 weeks of the year.

"We accomplished this through the hard work and dedication of all stakeholders to include the DCMA team, service program offices, Sikorsky workforce, and units and facilities receiving aircraft," he said.

The teams delivered the CH-53K King Stallion, MH-60R Seahawk, HH-60W Jolly Green II, UH-60M Black Hawk, and HH-60M Black Hawk aircraft to joint operational use to include the Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Army and five foreign military sales customers.

"On one of our flights early this year, we showcased our joint focus by delivering two Air Force aircraft from Stratford, Connecticut, with a mixed Navy and Army crew to a Space Force base in Florida," Joyce said. "Our office's flight activity and program integration team includes officers, warrant officers, and enlisted personnel from the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force."

Together, Joyce said, the team helps DCMA remain aligned with one of DCMA's main goals: to strengthen the defense industrial base through modernized technical surveillance, quality product delivery and data driven decisions to enable warfighter lethality.