The UH-60M Black Hawk development programme kicked off on 2 May
2001 with the award of a $ 219 million contract received by Sikorsky
from the US Army. The contract covers complete system test and
evaluation. Four helicopters are to be built to the new M standards this
year, three will be retrofits and one a planned newbuild; low-rate
production of twelve units is scheduled to begin in 2004, followed by a
lot of eighteen, to reach a cruising speed of 60 per year by 2006.
Planned improvements include the development of wide chord composite
spar main rotor blades, a digitised 1553 bus-based cockpit and avionics
suite, an advanced flight control computer, a strengthened fuselage as
well as advanced infrared suppression. The UH-60M will also standardise
the current fleet with its utilisation of the UH-60L General Electric
T700-GE701C engine and the improved durability of the main gearbox. The
UH-60M will be built both as a retrofit to the 23-year old UH-60A
(picture) and UH-60L fleet and as a new aircraft under future multi-year
H-60 production contracts.
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback