lockheed martin corp expect receive pentagon approval thursday begin production 200 new heavy cargo helicopters u.s. marines defense department official say tuesday long-expected award ch-53k king stallion cost 87 million average 105 million include spare part certain service contract say colonel hank vanderborght head program pentagon 27 billion program also include billion research development cost new helicopter development lockheed sikorsky helicopter business lift 36,000 pound would replace ch-53e super stallion operate backbone field logistics u.s. marines since mid-1980s pentagon defense acquisition board meet thursday expect approve begin production new helicopter vanderborght tell reuters lockheed martin representative decline comment expect approval pentagon defense acquisition board would major milestone large u.s. defense contractor final term production deal still finalize defense department official say lockheed ceo marillyn hewson tell reporters company annual media day last week 2015 purchase helicopter maker sikorsky unite technologies corp billion help reshape company lockheed near 27 billion helicopter deal pentagon