Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk
The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk is a four-blade, twin-engine, medium-lift utility military helicopter manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft. Sikorsky submitted the S-70 design for the United States Army's Utility Tactical Transport Aircraft System (UTTAS) competition in 1972. The Army designated the prototype as the YUH-60A and selected the Black Hawk as the winner of the program in 1976, after a fly-off competition with the Boeing Vertol YUH-61.
| UH-60 Black Hawk | |
|---|---|
| An U.S. Army UH-60M Blackhawk landing, 2019 | |
| Role | Utility helicopter |
| Manufacturer | Sikorsky Aircraft |
| First flight | 17 October 1974 |
| Introduction | 1979 |
| Status | In service |
| Primary users | United States Army Republic of Korea Armed Forces Japan Self-Defense Forces Colombian Armed Forces |
| Produced | 1974–present |
| Number built | 5,000 by January 2023 |
| Developed from | Sikorsky S-70 |
| Variants | Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk Sikorsky HH-60 Pave Hawk Sikorsky MH-60 Jayhawk Mitsubishi H-60 |
Named after the Native American war leader Black Hawk, the UH-60A entered service with the U.S. Army in 1979, to replace the Bell UH-1 Iroquois as the Army's tactical transport helicopter. This was followed by the fielding of electronic warfare and special operations variants of the Black Hawk. Improved UH-60L and UH-60M utility variants have also been developed. Modified versions have also been developed for the U.S. Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard. In addition to U.S. Army use, the UH-60 family has been exported to several nations. Black Hawks have served in combat during conflicts in Grenada, Panama, Iraq, Somalia, the Balkans, Afghanistan, and other areas in the Middle East.