Sikorsky UH-60 / S-70 Black Hawk multi-mission helicopter

[Ayoshi]

From: airforce-technology.com

The UH-60 Blackhawk has been operational in the US Army since 1978, and variants of the Blackhawk are operational or have been ordered by 25 international customers: the Argentine Air Force, Royal Australian Army, Bahrain, Brazil, Brunei, Chile, Colombian Air Force, Egypt, Greece, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan Self Defence Force, Jordan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, People’s Republic of China, Royal Saudi Land Forces Army Aviation Command, the Turkish Jandarma, Spain, The Philippine Air Force, Taiwan, and Thailand.

The aircraft have logged over four million flying hours, including a diverse range of combat missions in Grenada, Panama, in the liberation of Kuwait, Somalia, Afghanistan, Iraq and numerous humanitarian and rescue missions including operations in Bosnia.

The helicopters are manufactured at the Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation production facilities based in Stratford, Connecticut, USA. Licensed production of Blackhawk helicopters is also carried out in Japan and the Republic of Korea.

The primary mission of the Blackhawk helicopter is as a troop carrier and logistical support aircraft, but in addition the helicopter can be configured to carry out medical evacuation, command-and-control, search-and-rescue, armed escort, electronic warfare and executive transport missions.

More than 2,000 H-60 variants are in service with the US Military and more than 600 exported. The S-70A helicopter is the export version of the multi-mission Blackhawk developed by Sikorsky.

Blackhawk helicopter design

The Blackhawk has low detectability and outstanding nap-of-the-earth flight capabilities. The aircraft is tolerant to small arms fire and most high-explosive, medium-calibre (23mm) projectiles. The flight controls are ballistically hardened and the helicopter is equipped with redundant electric and hydraulic systems.

The helicopter has the ability to absorb high-impact velocities. The fuel system is crash-resistant and self-sealing. The crew seats and the landing gear are energy absorbing.

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Photos taken from airforce-technology.com

[Ayoshi]

US Company Buys 30+ Ex-US Army UH-60A Black Hawks | tangentlink.com - May 31 2015

Rapidly expanding US Company AGD Systems has acquired a batch of more than 30 surplus US Army Sikorsky UH-60A Black Hawks which it is offering for Government contract services and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers. The company has secured the helicopters in association with its teaming partner BHI and in announcing the acquisition on May 26 noted that this is the largest acquisition to date of UH-60 helicopters by a private civilian organization.

The Black Hawks will operate under Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) registration-certification for contract work and operation in the Continental United States. They will also be marketed for Foreign Military Sales (FMS) to several countries pursuant to International Traffic in Arms (ITAR) regulations with the approval of the US Department of State and Office of Defense Cooperation.

The US Army began withdrawing the UH-60A models from the operational inventory in 2014, even though most have been completely overhauled and have many years of service life remaining. The company’s partner, BHI, is a joint venture by long-standing commercial helicopter operators Firehawk Helicopters, Brown Helicopter and Dynamic Aviation. Restricted category type certification was recently awarded to BHI UH-60 helicopters, allowing their commercial operation for fire-fighting and special missions.

[Ayoshi]

Demand Surges For Surplus U.S. Army Black Hawks | aviationweek.com - Mar 8, 2016

A cottage industry is emerging from the expected demand for ex-U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawks. Helicopter operators across the U.S. are snapping up the surplus Sikorsky UH-60As, with the aim of selling them to commercial and government customers, including overseas.

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US approves new Black Hawk helicopter sales | Bankok Post - 30 Jun 2017

The purchase request was treated as part of the Thai-US military assistance programme and the prices would be similar to those for helicopters bought in the past from the US, he said. A source said the four new helicopters would cost 3 billion baht in total, or 750 million baht each.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/security/1278199/us-approves-new-black-hawk-helicopter-sales

[Ayoshi]

State Department approves Black Hawk helicopter sale for Latvia | upi.com - Aug. 6, 2018 / 1:29 PM

The helicopters will be in standard U.S. configuration, and will be accompanied by ten T700-GE-701D engines -- including eight installed and two spare -- and ten Embedded Global Positioning Systems/Inertial Navigation Systems, also with eight installed and two spares.

The contract also includes a large amount of communications gear, transponders, night-vision devices, spare parts, tools and other equipment for the Black Hawks. The estimated contract value is $200 million.

The State Department said the proposed sale will contribute to U.S. national security by allowing interoperability with NATO and U.S. forces in deployment of troops and equipment. It will not affect the basic balance of power in the region.

The State Department has approved the sale of four UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters to Latvia. Photo by Scott T. Sturkol/Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office/U.S. Army

[Ayoshi]

Unitech Composites to provide weapon pylons for Afghan Black Hawk helos | Janes - 18 October 2018

The initial contract is for three LASS shipsets, with the first scheduled to be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2018, the company said, adding that published programme requirements call for 58 of these weaponised Black Hawks.

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The AAF currently has about 47 Mi-17s in its inventory, while its SMW operates an additional 33. So far the AAF has received at least 16 of a total of 159 Black Hawks set to be handed over by the United States by 2023.

According to the US Department of Defense, the transition is being driven by a requirement for additional rotary-wing lift capabilities and airborne firepower as well as by a Congressional directive to switch to US-made rotary-wing aircraft rather than spending more from the Afghanistan Security Forces Fund (ASFF) on buying helicopters from Russia.

A UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter is fitted with Unitech Composites’ LASS weapon pylons. The company has been awarded a contract to provide these pylons for fitment onto several of the Black Hawks the US is supplying to Afghanistan. Source: Via Unitech Aerospace

[Ayoshi]

Latvia signs for Black Hawk helos | Janes - 30 November 2018

In August the US cleared the Baltic nation to acquire four UH-60s, along with equipment including Talon Forward Looking Infrared Radar (FLIR) systems, spares, support, and sustainment for USD200 million.

[Ayoshi]

From: Air Recognition

Main Variants
- S-70A Black Hawk: Military model for the export market.
- S-70A Firehawk: Firefighting variant of the UH-60L. Tank system designed and built by Aero Union in Chico, California.
- S-70A (N) Naval Hawk: Maritime variant that blends the S-70A Black Hawk and S-70B Seahawk designs.
- S-70B/C Seahawk: Maritime military model for the export market.
- S-70C Firehawk: Commercial variant
- S-70i Black Hawk: International military version assembled by Sikorsky subsidiary, PZL Mielec in Poland.
- T-70: A Turkish variant of the S-70i, built under license by Turkish Aerospace Industries with indigenous Turkish mission-computer, avionics, landing gear and transmission. Turkey was to initially to produce about 150 T-70s under license. US Ambassador to Turkey Frank Ricciardone stated that Turkey now intends to produce some 600 T-70s.

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From: Army Technology

S-70i Black Hawk Helicopter

S-70i Black Hawk helicopter is the latest in the family of Black Hawk multimission aircraft. The helicopter is being built by Poland-based PZL Mielec, a subsidiary of Sikorsky Aircraft. The S-70i is being offered for international military customers and government agencies.

The S-70i helicopter can be configured according to customer specific missions, including troop transport and air assault, command and control, border patrol, search and rescue, cargo lift and VIP transport. The first S-70i Black Hawk helicopter successfully made its first flight in July 2010.

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The S-70i Black Hawk helicopter has a maximum gross weight of 9,979kg. It can carry two crew members and up to 13 troops.

The reliable crash-worthy airframe design of the S-70i integrates a machined cabin structure and a single-piece cockpit assembly. The structure can resist small-arms fire and high-explosive projectiles. Entry and exit of the crew and troops are provided by two jettisonable cockpit doors and two sliding cargo doors respectively.

The helicopter can be fitted with ballistic protection, an active vibration control system, medical equipment, wire strike protection, Integrated Vehicle Health Management (IVHM) system, auxiliary fuel tanks, an external rescue hoist, rappelling equipment and cargo hook.

Photo taken from army-technology.com
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Photo taken from airrecognition.com

[adroth]

The country still has one unit of the first generation of Sikorsky’s famous Black Hawk helicopter, he said, which was acquired by the Philippines in the 1980s.

To date, there are more than 4,000 units of this aircraft across the globe, with the US Army being the largest market for this aircraft accounting for more than half of the entire supply, the company’s website said.



Read more: https://business.inquirer.net/258492/sikorsky-open-partnerships-ph#ixzz5Zv2JEN5P
Follow us: @inquirerdotnet on Twitter | inquirerdotnet on Facebook

[Ayoshi]

Black Hawk improvements to begin | Air Recognition - 24 January 2019 10:55

The Corpus Christi Army Depot will begin the nine-step recapitalization process on the Black Hawk, with six more to follow this fiscal year, said Allen. The final end state scheduled for the Corpus Christi Army Depot is 760 converted Victor-model Black Hawks

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The U.S. Army has utilized the Black Hawk since the 1970s. They are offered in multiple airframe configurations, including the Alpha, Lima, Mike and Victor models, all used to provide air assault, general support, aeromedical evacuation, command and control, and special operations support to combat, stability and support operations.

[Ayoshi]

Poland acquires Black Hawks after canceled helo deal | Defense news

The aircraft will be produced by the group’s Polish subsidiary PZL Mielec, with deliveries scheduled to be completed by the end of 2019.

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The contract for aircraft with related logistics, equipment and training packages is worth a total of 683.4 million zloty (US $180.7 million), the ministry said in a statement.

The helos were acquired outside of a tender procedure. In 2015, the then-Polish Cabinet decided to order 50 H225M Caracal copters from Airbus, but the deal was scrapped the following year after a change in government. The canceled contract was estimated to be worth about 13.5 billion zloty. Other forerunners in the tender included the Black Hawk and Leonardo’s offshoot PZL Swidnik, which makes the AW149.

[Ayoshi]

From: Janes

UAE debuts ‘weaponised’ UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter - 14 March 2019

Developed by Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky business, the Armed Black Hawk kit provides for the ‘weaponisation’ of the UH-60M utility helicopter. The UAE became the launch customer for the upgrade package under a USD270 million contract announced in February 2011. AMMROC (Advanced Military Maintenance Repair Overhaul Centre) – an Abu Dhabi-based joint venture between the Emirates Defense Industries Company (EDIC), Sikorsky, and Lockheed Martin – is prime contractor for the UAE programme.

Specifically designed for the all-digital UH-60M and S-70i Black Hawk variants, the Armed Black Hawk kit adds stub wings port and starboard for external stores and weapons systems. Each stub wing has two stores pylons for air-to-surface missiles, 7-round or 19-round Hydra 70 rocket pods, and/or miniguns. Alternatively, the stores hardpoints can host 200-gallon external fuel tanks.

A FLIR Systems AN/AAQ-22 BRITE Star II multi-sensor electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) turret is fitted beneath the nose. BRITE Star II incorporates a 3-5 µm thermal imager, a high-resolution colour daylight camera, a laser designator/rangefinder, and a laser pointer.

A weaponised UAE Joint Aviation Command UH-60M fires its GAU-19 miniguns during the IDEX 2019 dynamic display. Source: IHS Markit/Patrick Allen


Military helicopter manufacturers improve airworthiness in Amazon region - 19 March 2019

Key Points
* Sikorsky and Helibras have created new ways to improve airworthiness rates in the Amazon
* These include improved contracting methods and quick-change assembly modules

Military helicopter manufacturers Sikorsky and Helibras have developed new ways to improve airworthiness rates in the Amazon rainforest region, one of the most environmentally challenging areas for rotorcraft to operate.

[Ayoshi]

https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/defence-helicopter/sikorsky-hh-60w-achieves-first-flight/

Sikorsky HH-60W makes first flight
22nd May 2019 - 12:30 GMT

The test flight, which lasted for approximately 1.2 hours, included hover control checks, low speed flight, and a pass of the airfield.

The achievement paves the way for a Milestone C production decision in September 2019. A second HH-60W helicopter is expected to enter flight test shortly, with a third and fourth aircraft entering flight test in the summer. These aircraft will provide critical data over the course of the programme which will enable the US Air Force to make an informed production decision.

The HH-60W combat rescue helicopter hosts a new fuel system that nearly doubles the capacity of the internal tank on the UH-60M Black Hawk, providing extended range and more capability to rescue those injured in the battle space.

[Ayoshi]

Sierra Nevada Corp awarded contract for a Degraded Visual Environment System for US Air Force HH-60G | Air Recognition - 23 May 2019 10:21

This contract provides for the procurement, installation, and integration of the DVES solution on 85 HH-60G helicopter aircraft.

Work will be performed in Sparks, Nevada, and is expected to be complete by May 21, 2024. This award is a result of a competitive acquisition resulting in three offers received.

US Air Force HH-60G Pave Hawk (Picture source: Tim Felce)

[Ayoshi]

https://www.janes.com/article/89088/lockheed-martin-flies-unmanned-technology-aboard-uh-60-for-first-time

Lockheed Martin flies unmanned technology aboard UH-60 for first time
06 June 2019

The flight, which took place at Sikorsky's West Palm Beach facility in Florida on 29 May, marked the official start of the flight trials programme for the OPV technology following an earlier test aboard a S-76B Sikorsky Autonomy Research Aircraft (SARA) testbed helicopter.

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With the S-76B SARA helicopter having previously utilised Lockheed Martin's 'MATRIX Technology' to demonstrate automated take-off and landing, obstacle avoidance, automatic landing zone selection, and low-level contour flying, the UH-60A will continue flight-envelope expansion trials through to the third quarter of this year.

A Sikorsky UH-60A Black Hawk helicopter equipped with Lockheed Martin Optionally Piloted Vehicle (OPV) technology made its maiden flight on 29 May, the company announced on 6 June. Source: Lockheed Martin

[Ayoshi]

https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/defence-helicopter/paris-air-show-bsn-systems-s-70-black-hawk/

Paris Air Show: BSN systems for S-70 Black Hawk
17th June 2019 - 16:30 GMT

Blue Sky Network (BSN) has signed a contract with Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation to provide tracking and SATCOM systems for the S-70 Black Hawk helicopter.

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The company’s D1000C and ACH1000 systems are now factory qualified on all S-70 Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopters.