Lockheed Martin subsidiary Sikorsky has delivered its 5,000th Hawk medium-lift helicopter to the US armed forces.
The chopper is a variant of the UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter deployed for international military and civilian operations.
“For more than 40 years the Black Hawk has remarkably supported Soldiers in every major contingency operation the Army has executed,” US Army Program Executive Office Aviation Helicopter Project Manager Col. Calvin Lane stated.
“Even though the helicopter has been around longer than most of the Soldiers it now supports, the Army plans for it to be in front line service another 40 years and beyond.”
“And everyone who contributes to the delivery of this aircraft in any way, contributes directly to providing combat capability that protects Soldiers and helps the Army accomplish its mission.”
Maintaining Hawk ‘Versatility and Readiness’
According to Lockheed, the Black Hawk will remain a “foundational” tactical aerial combat and utility asset for the US Army in its ongoing Future Vertical Lift program.
Meanwhile, Sikorsky is engaged in modernization efforts related to modular open systems, improved turbine engines, advanced digital vehicle management systems, and predictive analytic tools to enhance the Black Hawk fleet’s operability.
“The Black Hawk and its variants deliver when reliability and performance are nonnegotiable. Hawk aircraft continue to demonstrate their versatility and readiness with the latest technological advancements and ongoing US and global investment in the aircraft,” Sikorsky President Paul Lemmo stated.
“It remains our priority to fulfill our customers’ requirements and meet the needs of current and future operational units,” Sikorsky Army and Air Force Systems Vice President Nathalie Previte added.