Lockheed Martin Sikorsky wins US$43 million US Army contract for Black Hawk modernisation

Stratford, Connecticut-based Sikorsky has announced an initial US$43 million (S67 million) US Army  contract to fund the start of UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter modernisation. The contract is for design work and will focus on foundational capabilities for modernisation, says Sikorsky, which is now wholly owned by Lockheed Martin:. These upgrades will be both retrofittable and available for now-build aircraft.

Enhancement of the airframe and inclusion of a digital backbone capability to allow for rapid Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS) integration. The award also includes development of requirements and architecture using Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE).

“Integrating launched effects into the Black Hawk will enhance its capabilities and provide a significant advantage. Modernization is reducing costs, increasing efficiency and improving the overall maintenance and sustainment for the aircraft,” said Hamid Salim, Sikorsky’s vice president, Army and Air Force Systems. The US Army plans to keep the Black Hawk in service possibly to as late as 2070.

The contract will support the Army’s near-term priority to integrate what it calls launched effects into the Black Hawk, enabling the aircraft to deploy UAS and other effects to enhance its mission capabilities, Sikorsky says. It has been demonstrating launched effects capability with Black Hawk for years, it continues, and is working with the Army to deliver a federated capability in 2026.

“The 2026 delivery is intended to put that demonstrated capability into operational users’ hands,” said a Sikorsky spokesperson. “We envision continuing to further develop the capability and fully integrating the solution in subsequent deliveries.”

The MBSE and digital engineering effort will focus on developing a digital version of the Black Hawk for collaborative and effective design, testing and maintenance of the aircraft. The Black Hawk digital backbone effort, supporting a Modular Open System Approach (MOSA), will involve the development of advanced systems and software to support the aircraft’s modernization, says Sikorsky. This digital backbone facilitates rapid capability insertion to quickly respond to future platform mission needs.

Sikorsky is also retrofitting the Black Hawk with GE Aerospace T901 Improved Turbine Engines (ITE) which are intended to provide 50% more power with a reduced fuel burn. With the new engine, airframe enhancements and a main fuel upgrade, the Black Hawk will carry more payload at greater range, with future upgrades planned to its flight controls to include autonomy and AI features that will assist pilots in tough conditions increasing mission safety and effectiveness, the company says.

Sikorsky adds it is already fielding technology to improve the capability of a modernized Black Hawk. For example, it says it is producing and delivering upturned exhaust systems II kits to provide the aircraft with significant InfraRed suppression, weight reduction and improvements in reliability and maintainability.