Description
The Weapon System
The mission of the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter is to provide air assault, general support, aero medical evacuation, command and control and special operations support to combat and stability and support operations.
The UH 60 Black Hawk is a utility tactical transport helicopter that replaces the UH-1 "Huey". The versatile Black Hawk has enhanced the overall mobility of The Army, due to dramatic improvements in troop capacity and cargo lift capability, and will serve as The Army's utility helicopter in the Objective Force. On the asymmetric battlefield, it provides the commander the agility to get to the fight quicker and to mass effects throughout the battle space across the full spectrum of conflict. An entire 11-person, fully-equipped infantry squad can be lifted in a single Black Hawk, transported faster than in predecessor systems, in most weather conditions. The Black Hawk can reposition a 105 mm Howitzer, its crew of six, and lift up to 30 rounds of ammunition in a single lift. The aircraft's critical components and systems are armored or redundant, and its airframe is designed to progressively crush on impact to protect the crew and passengers.
Description and Specifications
The Black Hawk UH-60 Helicopter is configured as follows -
| | UH60-A | UH60-L |
| Max gross weight: | 20,250 lbs | 22,000 lbs, 23,500 (external cargo) |
| Cruise speed: | 139 kt | 150 kt |
| Endurance: | 2.3 hrs | 2.1 hrs |
| Max range: | 320 nm | 306 nm |
| External load: | 8000 lbs | 9000 lbs |
| Internal load: | 2640 lbs (or 11 combat-equipped troops) |
| Crew: | 4 (2 pilots; 2 crew chiefs) |
| Armament: | Two 7.62mm machine guns |
Upgrade Program
In April 2001, the US Army approved an upgrade program for more than 1,500 Black Hawks to UH-60M standard. First flight of the UH60M took place in September 2003. Entry into service is set for 2006 and the model will be the standard version for US Army production from 2007. The program will extend the service life of the helicopter until 2025. The upgrade will include new wide chord composite spar main rotor blades (which will provide 500lb more lift than the current UH-60L blade), digitised 1553 bus-based glass cockpit and avionics suite with four multi-function displays, advanced flight control computer, strengthened fuselage and advanced infrared suppression. A new General Electric T700-GE-701D engine is also being developed.
Production Status, Population, and Planned Life:
The UH-60A, first flown in October 1974, was developed as result of the Utility Tactical Transport Aircraft System (UTTAS) program. The UTTAS was designed for troop transport, command and control, MedEvac, and reconnaissance, to replace the UH-1 Series "Huey" in the combat assault role. In August 1972, the U.S. Army selected the Sikorsky (model S-70) YUH-60A and the Boeing Vertol (model 237) YUH-61A (1974) as competitors in the Utility Tactical Transport Aircraft System (UTTAS) program. In December 1976 Sikorsky won the competition to produce the UH-60A, subsequently named the Black Hawk.
The Army began fielding the UH-60 in 1978. From 1978 until 1989 the Army procured UH-60A model aircraft. In October 1989, a power train upgrade resulted in a model designation change from UH-60A to UH-60L. The UH-60L version that provides 24 percent more power than the original 1970 UH-60A model. As of the end of FY97, the Army had procured 483 UH-60L models for a total UH-60 acquisition of 1,463 aircraft.
Prime Contractor: United Technologies (Stratford, CT); General Electric (Lynn, MA)
Office of Prime Responsibility: Project Management Office - Utility Helicopters, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama
R-TOC Focus Areas: (Based on USD (AT&L) memorandum dated December 16, 2003.)
The R-TOC Vision: Through R-TOC principles, all defense systems will perform with increasing readiness and capability while avoiding increased operations and support resource costs and improving logistics footprint by institutionalizing the continuous implementation of innovative process and hardware improvements.
The R-TOC Goal: Maximize cost avoidance on total defense systems' FY 2010 O&S costs by offsetting 30 percent of the inflation predicted from an FY 2004 baseline.
- FY 2004 Baseline O&S Cost: To be determined.
- FY 2010 Forecasted O&S Cost: To be determined.
- FY 2010 Goal: (FY 2004 O&S Cost) * 5% = To be determined.
Major R-TOC Development Concepts that will be used to achieve the FY 2010 O&S cost reduction target. To be determined.
|
