Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., Stratford, Connecticut, was awarded a $507,036,949 modification (P00163) to contract W58RGZ-17-C-0009 for Sikorsky UH-60M HH-60M Black Hawk Helicopter. The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk is a four-blade, twin-engine, medium-lift utility helicopter manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft. Work will be performed in Stratford, Connecticut, with an estimated completion date of June 30, 2022. The U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity.
The UH-60 features four-blade main and tail rotors, and is powered by two General Electric T700 turboshaft engines. The main rotor is fully articulated and has elastomeric bearings in the rotor head. The tail rotor is canted and features a rigid crossbeam. The helicopter has a long, low profile shape to meet the Army’s requirement for transporting aboard a C-130 Hercules, with some disassembly. It can carry 11 troops with equipment, lift 2,600 pounds (1,200 kg) of cargo internally or 9,000 pounds (4,100 kg) of cargo (for UH-60L/M) externally by sling.
The UH-60 can be equipped with stub wings at the top of fuselage to carry fuel tanks or various armaments. The initial stub wing system is called External Stores Support System (ESSS). It has two pylons on each wing to carry two 230 US gal (870 L) and two 450 US gal (1,700 L) tanks in total. The four fuel tanks and associated lines and valves form the external extended range fuel system (ERFS). The ESSS can also carry 10,000 lb (4,500 kg) of armament such as rockets, missiles and gun pods.
The Black Hawk helicopter series can perform a wide array of missions, including the tactical transport of troops, electronic warfare, and aeromedical evacuation. UH-60M Black Hawk is an improved design wide chord rotor blades, T700-GE-701D engines (max 2,000 shp or 1,500 kW each), improved durability gearbox, Integrated Vehicle Health Management System (IVHMS) computer, and new glass cockpit. HH-60M Black Hawk is an UH-60M with medical mission equipment (medevac version) for U.S. Army.
