NEWTOWN, Conn. -- The U.S. Army's plan to upgrade 1,217 UH-60A/L Black Hawks to the improved UH-60M standard was dropped in 2004 in favor of procuring about 1,375 new-production M models. Turbulence in the CSAR-X effort appears to have had an effect on H-60 upgrade procurement, as a number of new programs related to combat search and rescue have appeared in the U.S. Air Force budget in recent years.
Sikorsky has been pushing its star hard, developing a number of new systems and modifications for the H-60. The firm teamed with Elbit to provide an armed Black Hawk variant known as the Battlehawk, which is available as a new-build aircraft or as a retrofit kit. Sikorsky has also been testing an Autonomous Formation Flying (AFF) system, which has now matured into what the company is calling "Matrix Technology."
Black Hawks are to be phased out entirely by 2050, leading to a large aftermarket that multiple companies are already taking advantage of. The U.S. Government Services Administration has auctioned off more than 100 UH-60s. Hundreds more are expected to be sold in the coming years, with as many as 700 becoming available. Note that a $100,000 deposit is needed just to bid on the aircraft. As one option, buyers can convert the aircraft for utility and firefighting missions under a restricted certificate and then resell them, although public agencies can fly the aircraft unrestricted.
Aftermarket companies are purchasing divested Black Hawks from the U.S. Army and other militaries. The Afghani Air Force will receive 53 Black Hawks that are being transferred from U.S. Army stocks and upgraded.
UH-60V conversions started in FY18, with installations to begin in FY19. The electronics-focused effort, estimated at $3.5 billion, looks to push well into the 2030s.
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