The US Navy’s Program Executive Office, Unmanned and Small Combatants (PEO USC), has awarded a…

Sikorsky begins Black Hawk ground runs with improved T901 engine
Stratford, Connecticut-based Sikorsky has begun ground runs of a UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter powered by two GE Aerospace 3,000shp T901 Improved Turbine Engines (ITE). The initial light off and ground runs were executed by a combined US Army and industry test team and operated by Army and Sikorsky pilots.
First flight of the ITE-equipped Black Hawk is anticipated this calendar year. Current Black Hawks are powered by twin GE T700 turboshaft engines developing about 1,900shp each
“Soldiers will rely on Black Hawk helicopters well into the future, and upgrades to the aircraft today will pay dividends for decades, enabling new missions such as deploying and managing launched effects,” said Hamid Salim, vice president of Army and Air Force Systems at Sikorsky, which is now owned by Lockheed Martin.
“A modernized Black Hawk fleet will create new operational opportunities for the Army by extending the capabilities of a proven, fielded fleet to travel farther on less fuel and with more troops and cargo.”
The T901 engine will increase the Black Hawk’s power by 50%, while also improving fuel efficiency. Other improvements planned for the Black Hawk include a Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA), including a digital backbone, and Launched Effects.
It’s not clear as yet whether, or when, the Australian Army might receive a T901 upgrade for its current order of 40 UH-60M Black Hawks of which 12 had been delivered by the end of 2024. The Australian Army intends to keep its Black Hawks in the same configuration as the US Army, so some sort of upgrade is likely. The Black Hawk helicopter will fly until 2070, the company says.