REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. † US Army orders 120 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters of Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., a Lockheed Martin company in Stratford, Conn., under the terms of a $2.3 billion contract announced Monday.
U.S. Army Contract Command officials at Redstone Arsenal, Ala., are asking Sikorsky to build 120 H-60M Black Hawk helicopters, related support and options for an additional 135 Black Hawk helicopters.
The UH and HH-60 are the Army’s tactical transport helicopter that provides air strikes, general support, aero-medical evacuation, command and control, and special operations support. This one black hawk serves as the Army utility helicopter in the Future Force.
The UH-60M incorporates the upgraded GE-701D engine and offers higher cruising speed, rate of climb and internal load than the UH-60A and UH-60L versions.
The twin-engined UH-60M Black Hawk, the latest model of the Black Hawk family, is capable of operating in extreme conditions and is designed to replace the older UH-60A Black Hawk. It is the centerpiece of the Army’s long-term efforts to modernize the service’s medium-sized helicopter fleet. Sikorsky has been producing the Army Black Hawk since 1978.
The Medical Evacuation (MEDEVAC) HH-60M includes an integrated MEDEVAC mission equipment package, enabling day, night and emergency evacuation of victims.
the cockpit avionics of the UH-60M helicopters are equipped with multifunction displays; flight management systems; modern flight control computers with fully coupled autopilot; an integrated vehicle health management system with flight data and cockpit sound recorder; inertial navigation systems with built-in global positioning systems; improved data modem; and improved heads-up displays. The narrower cockpit instrument panel will also significantly improve the view of the chin window.
The UH-60M has improved rotor blades, modern electronic instruments, flight controls and aircraft navigation control. It has a vibration-free system, adaptive flight control laws, advanced fire management, a durable main rotor, crash resistance and a damage-resistant airframe.
The helicopter has advanced digital avionics, including Integrated Area Navigation (I-RNAV), which provides the helicopter with certified flight management system software to enable aircraft to perform required navigation performance approaches, enhancing the unit’s capability to perform missions under instrument flight rules. feeding is increased.
The UH-60M can fly as fast as 151 knots at altitudes up to 15,180 feet for distances of up to 276 nautical miles between refueling. The new wide chord composite spar blade of the UH-60M offers 500 pounds more lift than the UH-60L blade. The General Electric T700-GE-701D motor adds more horsepower and allows extra lifting power during remote lifting operations.
Sikorsky and the military have had the UH-60M in full production since late 2007, and by early 2009 the company had delivered the first 100 UH-60M helicopters to the military.
Under this contract, Sikorsky will do the work in Stratford, Conn., and should be completed by June 2022. For more information, contact Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, online at www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/capabilities/sikorsky.htmlor the army contracting commando Redstone at https://acc.army.mil/contractingcenters/acc-rsa/†