The BLACK HAWK helicopter and some of its capabilities

 

      The BLACK HAWK multirole helicopter serves with the U.S. military and the armed forces of 34 other countries worldwide as a tough, reliable utility helicopter. More than 4,000 BLACK HAWK aircraft of all types are in service worldwide today. The U.S. Army is the largest operator with 2,135 H-60 designated aircraft. The same aircraft sold internationally direct from Sikorsky acquires the S-70 designation. During the last 40 years, this remarkable aircraft has fought its way in and out of countless combat zones to deliver and extract troops, save lives as a MEDEVAC or casualty evacuation platform, provide critical supplies to troops, deliver emergency supplies during natural disasters, and perform as an aerial firefighter and border patroller. Now the modern variant of this utility aircraft is taking on a new mission set as an Armed Helicopter to provide fire suppression when supporting ground troops, as well as armed escort. With digital avionics, powerful GE engines, high strength airframe structures and composite wide chord rotor blades, today’s BLACK HAWK platform has better survivability and situational awareness, and can fly higher and carry more than its predecessors ever did.

      The BLACK HAWK helicopter can: carry 4,080 kg/9,000 lbs. of supplies as an internal or external load, sling load firefighting Bambi bucket or light vehicles from the cargo hook, then release to the ground from a hover; quickly replace troop seats with litters/stretchers to bring the wounded home, Sikorsky’s dedicated HH-60M MEDEVAC variant for the U.S. Army does this best; protect your aircraft during armed assault missions with crew served door or window guns, and armored floors; extinguish ground fires with a Bambi bucket from the cargo hook, or with a belly-mounted water tank; bolt on a rescue hoist to perform humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions, an electro-optical sensor and weather radar will greatly assist the (combat) search and rescue mission; attach wings to carry forward firing guns, rockets and missiles for effective fire suppression, an integrated electro-optical sensor ensures greatest accuracy; fast rope troops to the ground while hovering with a Fries bar, add 200-gallon external or internal fuel tanks for extra range and endurance, consider crew-served guns as well; and equip the 11.2 m3 / 396 ft3cabin with executive seating and communications for comfortable, safe, secure, VIP or Head of State transport. As a Lockheed Martin company, Sikorsky can now offer international customers via direct commercial sale a BLACK HAWK helicopter integrated with guns, rockets and missiles. Armed solutions are scalable from crew served door guns to a fully integrated weapons system controlled from the cockpit by either pilot. Configurations tailored to customer preferences allow the aircraft to provide fire suppression, support ground troop, become an armed escort, or perform armed assault missions.