Here’s all the essential information about the 40 Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters.

The Australian Government has submitted a request to acquire 40 Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters, along with the following components: eighty-eight T700-GE 701D engines (80 for installation, 8 spares); forty-four AN/AAR-57 Counter Missile Warning Systems (CMWS) (40 for installation, 4 spares); and ninety-six H-764U Embedded Global Positioning Systems with Inertial Navigation (EGI) and unique SAASM (or future replacement) tailored to the country’s requirements (80 for installation, 16 spares).

The intended sale aims to replace Australia’s existing multi-role helicopter fleet with a more dependable and well-proven system. This upgrade will enable Australia to maintain an appropriate state of readiness for conducting combined operations. The UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters will enhance the Australian Army’s capacity to swiftly deploy combat capabilities in line with Australia’s strategic interests. This acquisition will also serve as a deterrent against actions contrary to Australia’s interests and provide a credible response when necessary. Australia anticipates a seamless integration of this equipment into its armed forces. The primary contractor for this endeavor will be Lockheed Martin, headquartered in Bethesda, MD.

The Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk Utility Helicopter package also includes the following components:

AN/ARC-231 RT-1808A SATCOM radios
APR-39C(V)1/4 Radar warning Receivers
AVR-2B Laser Detecting Sets
APX-123A Identification Friend or Foe Transponder
ARC-220 High-Frequency (HF) radio with KY-100M
VRC-100 Ground Stations
AN/PYQ-10 Simple Key Loader (SKL)
KIV-77 Common Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) Applique crypto Computers
AN/ARN-147(V) Very High-Frequency Omni-Directional Range (VOR)/Instrument Landing System (ILS) receiver radio
AN/ARN-149(V) Low-Frequency (LF)/Automatic Direction Finder (ADF) radio receiver
AN/ARN-153 tactical Air Navigation System (TACAN) receiver-transmitter
Encrypted Aircraft Wireless Intercommunications Systems (EAWIS)
Improved Heads-Up Display (IHUD)
MX-10D EO/IR with Laser Designator
Ballistic Armor Protection Systems (BAPS)
Internal Auxiliary Fuel tank Systems (IAFTS)
Fast Rope Insertion Extraction System (FRIES)
External rescue Hoist (ERH)
Rescue Hoist Equipment Sets
Dual Patient Litter System (DPLS) Sets
Training devices
Helmets
Transportation
Organizational equipment
Spare and repair parts.

The image shows a Black Hawk Utility Helicopter from the Australian Army’s 6th Aviation Regiment. (Photo by CPL Dustin Anderson/Australian Government Department of Defence)

The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk is a twin-engine, medium-lift utility military helicopter equipped with four blades, and it is manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft. It is named in honor of the Native American war leader Black Hawk. The UH-60A variant was introduced into service with the U.S. Army in 1979, replacing the Bell UH-1 Iroquois as the army’s primary tactical transport helicopter. The UH-60 is characterized by its four-blade main and tail rotors and is powered by two General Electric T700 turboshaft engines.

The primary rotor of the helicopter is fully articulated, featuring elastomeric bearings in its rotor head. The aircraft boasts a sleek, low-profile design, meeting the Army’s specifications for transport aboard a C-130 Hercules, albeit with some disassembly required. Its internal capacity allows for the transportation of 11 troops with equipment or a cargo load of up to 2,600 pounds (1,200 kg). Alternatively, the UH-60L/M models can transport an external payload of 9,000 pounds (4,100 kg) via sling.

The UH-60M Black Hawk represents an upgraded design, featuring wider chord rotor blades, T700-GE-701D engines (with a maximum power output of 2,000 shp or 1,500 kW each), an enhanced durability gearbox, an Integrated Vehicle Health Management System (IVHMS) computer, and a modernized glass cockpit. Production of this model commenced in 2006.

In 1986, Australia placed an order for fourteen S-70A-9 Black Hawk helicopters, followed by an additional twenty-five Black Hawks in 1987. The initial U.S.-manufactured Black Hawk was supplied to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in 1987. In parallel, de Havilland Australia produced thirty-eight Black Hawks under a license agreement with Sikorsky, with the first delivery taking place in 1988 and the final delivery in 1991.

In 1989, the Australian Army took over the RAAF’s Black Hawk fleet. These Black Hawks were actively deployed in various operational missions in Cambodia, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, East Timor, and Pakistan. However, in 2004, the government made the decision to replace the Black Hawks with the Multi-Role Helicopter (MRH-90) Taipan, a variant of the NHIndustries NH90, despite the Department of Defence’s prior recommendation to opt for the S-70M Black Hawk.

On December 10, 2021, the S-70A-9 Black Hawks were officially retired from service. Concurrently, due to performance concerns with the MRH-90s, the government revealed plans to replace them with a potential fleet of up to 40 UH-60M Black Hawks. However, as of now, the government has not yet placed an order for these helicopters. According to The Australian, there is hope that six UH-60Ms could be delivered as early as 2023, with the entire delivery process expected to conclude by 2026.

The image depicts a UH-60M Black Hawk Utility Helicopter from the US Army’s Joint Task Force-Bravo. (Photo by Tech. Sgt. Amber Carter/U.S. Air Force Joint Task Force-Bravo)