A small-business advocate is fighting two behemothsin an effort to force the Pentagon to disclose a plan showing whether smallbusinesses have access as suppliers of parts and services to Sikorsky AircraftCorp.

Lloyd Chapman, president of the American SmallBusiness League, an advocacy group he founded in 2002, has been fighting alegal battle against the Department of Defense,demanding details about a contracting program he says benefits large militarycontractors.

Chapman won a Freedom of Information Actlawsuit in federal court, but will be back in court later this year following asuccessful appeal by Sikorsky, the Stratford-based helicopter maker, and theDefense Department.

Chapman, of Petaluma, Calif., said the government'sComprehensive Subcontracting Plan Test Program has failed to increasesubcontracting opportunities for small businesses as intended.

"A program that eliminates transparency isn'tgoing to help," he said.

The program eliminated transparency on smallbusiness subcontracting programs for the Pentagon's largest prime contractorsand the Defense Department refuses to release information about the program,Chapman said.

A spokesman for the Defense Department did notimmediately respond to an email and phone call seeking comment.

Sikorsky, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corp., said ina statement that it has complied with all small business requirements underDepartment of Defense guidelines. Information provided in Sikorsky's smallbusiness plan is sensitive and could be used by competitors and "wasrecognized as such" by federal judges who ordered the case back to a lowercourt, Sikorsky said.

Atrial is set for December, Chapman said.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a member of theSenate Armed Services Committee, said Friday he has not encountered widespreadcomplaints by small businesses that contracting opportunities have been denied.But he will speak with companies to determine if suppliers are treated fairly,he said.

"There should be more transparency," saidBlumenthal, D-Conn.

Promoting the many businesses in Sikorsky's supplychain is particularly important since the Malloy administration and legislaturestruck a deal with Lockheed Martin last year guaranteeing production of 200U.S. Navy helicopters in Connecticut until at least 2032 in exchange for up to$220 million in loans and grants.

In addition to increasing manufacturing jobs over14 years, Lockheed Martin agreed to nearly double its spending of $350 milliona year with Connecticut suppliers. The intent is to spur more employment andspending among small subcontractors.

Chapman said he picked Sikorsky for his legalchallenge "quite randomly."

"I'm hoping to prove this program is a fraudand a sham," he said.

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