Taiwan’s Black Hawk helicopter

[Ayoshi]

From: taiwanairpower.org

S-70 is Sikorsky designation for the H-60 Blackhawk series.   The ROCAF received ten S-70C-1A   and four S-70C-1 Bluehawk helicopters in June 1986. According to Sikorsky documents, S-70C-1A represents ROCAF utility helicopters, although they were used to replace the aging Bell HH-1H Seach-And-Rescue (SAR) helicopter, which entered service in 1970. On the other hand, the four "plain" S-70C-1 were used for adminstrative transport purposes. which had luxury chairs installed in the cabin and access steps fitted to both sides of the fuselage, below the main cabin door. These helicopters are all powered by the commercial General Electric CT7-2D engines, instead of the military T700. Coincidentally, the People's Republic of China took delivery of 24 S-70C-2 with nose-mounted weather radar at about the same time.
ROCAF S-70C-1A can be fitted with the unique Sikorsky Stores Support System (SSSS), capable of carrying four external fuel tanks, to expand their range. The SSSS is different from the standard External Stores Support System (ESSS) in that the SSSS pylon is further downswept and the fuel tanks used are also distinct. In order to conduct SAR missions, a rescue hoist/winch is installed above the main cabin door of S-70C-1A. Other external features that distinguish the -1A from the -1 include: Electronic Location Finder (ELF) blade antennas under the nose, TACAN antenna and HF wire antenna on the upper and lower port side of the tailcone, respectively, and UHF/VHF/FM/TACAN antenna below the tailcone.

In the wake of the loss of an S-70C-1, which crashed into mountains in bad weather while serving as the lead for a presidential flight mission, the ROCAF ordered four S-70C-6 "Super Bluehawk" to boost its all-weather SAR capability. The upgrades include FLIR, weather radar, and search light in the nose high-power loudhailers, and provisions for flare/chaff dispensers. In addition, S-70C-6 is powered by two T700-GE-701 turbine engines, replacing the CT7-2D on S-70C-1/1A. S-70C-6 also add the Hover InfraRed Suppression System (HIRSS) to reduce infrared singnature. They were handed over to the ROCAF at Sikorsky's factory on April 7, 1998.

Although S-70C-6 were ordered to enhance ROCAF's all-weather SAR capability, two of them (7015 and 7016) were subsequently converted by Air Asia in Tainan into administrative transport helicopter for transporting government officials, with leather seats and shades installed in the main cabin. The Ministry of National Defense claimed that the two helicopters could be easily reconfigured for SAR missions by removing non-SAR equipment. However, it is understood that reconfiguration would take hours to complete.


Service History
All S-70C, including those used for administrative transport purposes, are operated by the Air Rescue Group based at Chiayi AB. They are dispersed to several other air bases throughout Taiwan.

[Ayoshi]

Sikorsky Wraps Up Taiwan’s Black Hawk Order | Defense news - September 1, 2016

Taipei, Taiwan — Aircraft manufacturer Sikorsky has been awarded a $135.4 million foreign military sales contract for 24 UH-60M Black Hawk utility helicopters for Taiwan’s Air Cavalry Brigades under the Aviation and Special Forces Command to replace ageing UH-1H Huey utility helicopters.

Taiwan ordered sixty Black Hawks in 2010 for $3.1 billion. The country currently has three Air Cavalry Brigades (601/602/603) outfitted with 29 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters, nine CH-47SD Chinook cargo helicopters and 61 AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopters.

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Black Hawk set to become Taiwan’s key contingency helicopter | atimes - December 14, 2017 6:33 PM (UTC+8)

The twin-engine, medium-lift utility helicopters have been procured at a cost of about US$2.8 billion, and replace the country’s aging UH-1H Huey helicopters. They are versatile enough to be useful in both electronic warfare and special operations.

The helicopters are known for their adaptability to different combat environments and are capable of conducting airstrikes, carrying out logistics and rescue missions, and conducting airborne command operations, Taiwan’s Defence Ministry noted in a statement.

The remaining 28 helicopters will be delivered in various shipments between now and 2020, the army said, with some expected to go to Taiwan’s air force.

A Black Hawk is pictured during a rescue training mission. Photo: Taiwan Defence Ministry
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A Black Hawk helicopter is seen being transported from a ship in May. Photo: Handout

[Ayoshi]

http://defenseph.net/drp/index.php?topic=71.0

Defense News

Sikorsky Wraps Up Taiwan’s Black Hawk Order
By: Wendell Minnick, September 1, 2016
TAIPEI, Taiwan — Aircraft manufacturer Sikorsky has been awarded a $135.4 million foreign military sales contract for 24 UH-60M Black Hawk utility helicopters for Taiwan’s Air Cavalry Brigades under the Aviation and Special Forces Command to replace ageing UH-1H Huey utility helicopters.

Taiwan ordered sixty Black Hawks in 2010 for $3.1 billion. The country currently has three Air Cavalry Brigades (601/602/603) outfitted with 29 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters, nine CH-47SD Chinook cargo helicopters and 61 AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopters.

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[Ayoshi]

https://www.flightglobal.com/helicopters/taiwan-to-investigate-uh-60m-crash-that-killed-top-general/135988.article

Taiwan to investigate UH-60M crash that killed top general
2 January 2020

Taiwan will probe the fatal crash of a Sikorsky UH-60M helicopter that killed eight, including armed forces leader Gen. Shen Yi-Ming.

The crash occurred on the morning of Thursday 2 January in Northern Taiwan, according to the office of Taiwan’s president. Contact with the helicopter was lost 13min after it took off from Songshan air base near the capital Taipei, on a flight to an army base in the northeast.

Source: Taiwan Central News Agency

Taiwanese soldiers comb through the wreckage of the UH-60M that crashed on 2 January 2020.