Aircraft Factfile and Recognition Guide - UH-60 Blackhawk

 

Background

The Black Hawk is the Army’s front-line utility helicopter used for air assault, air cavalry, and aero medical evacuation units. It is designed to carry 11 combat-loaded, air assault troops, and it is capable of moving a 105-millimeter howitzer and 30 rounds of ammunition. First deployed in 1978, the Black Hawk’s advanced technology makes it easy to maintain in the field. The Black Hawk has performed admirably in a variety of missions, including air assault, air cavalry and aero medical evacuations. In addition, modified Black Hawks operate as command and control, electronic warfare, and special operations platforms.

The UH-60A, first flown in October 1974, was developed as result of the Utility Tactical Transport Aircraft System (UTTAS) program. The UTTAS was designed for troop transport, command and control, MedEvac, and reconnaissance, to replace the UH-1 Series "Huey" in the combat assault role. In August 1972, the U.S. Army selected the Sikorsky (model S-70) YUH-60A and the Boeing Vertol (model 237) YUH-61A (1974) as competitors in the Utility Tactical Transport Aircraft System (UTTAS) program. The Boeing Vertol YUH-61A had a four-bladed composite rotor, was powered by the same General Electric T700 engine as the Sikorsky YUH-60A, and could carry 11 troops. In December 1976 Sikorsky won the competition to produce the UH-60A, subsequently named the Black Hawk.

The Black Hawk is the primary division-level transport helicopter, providing dramatic improvements in troop capacity and cargo lift capability compared to the UH-1 Series "Huey" it replaces. The UH-60A, with a crew of three, can lift an entire 11-man fully-equipped infantry squad in most weather conditions. It can be configured to carry four litters, by removing eight troop seats, in the MedEval role. Both the pilot and co-pilot are provided with armor-protective seats. Protective armor on the Black Hawk can withstand hits from 23mm shells. The Black Hawk has a cargo hook for external lift missions. The Black Hawk has provisions for door mounting of two M60D 7.62mm machine guns on the M144 armament subsystem, and can disperse chaff and infrared jamming flares using the M130 general purpose dispenser. The Black Hawk has a composite titanium and fiberglass four-bladed main rotor, is powered by two General Electric T700-GE-700 1622 shp turboshaft engines, and has a speed of 163 mph (142 knots).

Elements of the US Army Aviation UH-60A/l Blackhawk helicopter fleet will begin reaching their service life goal of 25 years in 2002. In order for the fleet to remain operationally effective through the time period 2025-2030 the aircraft will need to go through an inspection, refurbishment, and modernization process that will validate the structural integrity of the airframe, incorporate improvements in sub-systems so as to reduce maintenance requirements, and modernize the mission equipment and avionics to the levels compatible with Force XXI and Army After Next (AAN) demands.

A Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) is planned for the UH-60 beginning in FY99. The UH-60 modernization program will identify material requirements to effectively address known operational deficiencies to ensure the Black Hawk is equipped and capable of meeting battlefield requirements through the 2025-2030 timeframe. Primary modernization areas for consideration are: increased lift, advanced avionics (digital communications and navigation suites), enhanced aircraft survivability equipment (ASE), increased reliability and maintainability (R & M), airframe service life extension (SLEP), and reduced operations and support (O & S) costs. Suspense date for the approved Operational Requirements Document (ORD) is December 1998.

Variants

The Army began fielding the UH-60 in 1978. From 1978 until 1989 the Army procured UH-60A model aircraft. In October 1989, a power train upgrade resulted in a model designation change from UH-60A to UH-60L. The UH-60L version that provides 24 percent more power than the original 1970 UH-60A model. As of the end of FY97, the Army had procured 483 UH-60L models for a total UH-60 acquisition of 1,463 aircraft. The Army is in the fifth and final year of a multi-year procurement contract calling for the delivery of 60 aircraft per year.

In October 1989, the engines were upgraded to two General Electric T700-GE-701C 1890 shp turboshaft engines, and an improved durability gear box was added, resulting in a model designation change from UH-60A to UH-60L. The T700-GE-701C has better high altitude and hot weather performance, greater lifting capacity, and improved corrosion protection. The helicopter can carry a gross weight of 22,000 Lbs and an external load of 9,000 Lbs. The UH-60L variant can utilize an External Stores Support System or ESSS to expand its capabilities. The ESSS system consists of removable "four-station pylons" that can carry external fuel tanks that can extend the Blackhawk range up to 1,150 nautical miles or sixteen Hellfire missiles. Furthermore, Sikorsky states that the Blackhawk can store an additional sixteen Hellfire missiles internally, and deploy a wide range of weapons systems ranging from guns to mine dispensers.

Recognizing the UH-60 Blackhawk

The Blackhawk (and all variants of the H-60) is a rather easy helicopter to identify on the ground and in the air. Here's some tips to help you identify the UH-60:

Wings:  Four-blade main rotor with swept-back tips mounted on top center of fuselage.
Engines:  Two turboshaft engines within a hump on top of fuselage. Semicircular air intakes. Oval exhausts.
Fuselage:  Slender, rectangular fuselage tapers to the rear. Rounded nose with stepped cockpit. Fixed landing gear.
Tail:  Boom tapers to a high, swept-back fin with tail rotor on right. Large, unequally tapered flat mounted low on the fin.

Keep in mind the different models of the H-60 in the US Armed Forces inventory by taking a note of its paint scheme:

Black/White:  UH-60 Blackhawk (US Customs and Border Patrol and Homeland Security)
Gunship Grey:  MH-60 Pave Hawk (USAF Special Ops)
Light Ghost Grey:  MH-60S Knighthawk, SH-60 Seahawk (both US Navy)
Olive Drab:  UH-60 Blackhawk (US Army)
White/Orange:  HH-60 Jayhawk (US Coast Guard)

Specifications

                                                UH-60A                                                UH-60L

Mass gross weight:                     20,250 lbs                                     22,000 lbs, 23,500 (external cargo)
Cruise speed:                                139 kt                                                 150 kt
Endurance:                                  2.3 hrs                                                  2.1 hrs
Max range:                                 320 nm                                                 306 nm
External load:                             8000 lbs                                                9000 lbs
Internal load:                                     2640 lbs (or 11 combat-equipped troops)
Crew:                                                         4 (2 pilots; 2 crew chiefs)
Armament:                                               Two 7.62mm machine guns

Sources: US Army UH-60 Blackhawk Factfile, Federation of American Scientists

© 2003-2007 Steven Holzinger