Home Americas US Army places $2.3B Black Hawk order with Sikorsky

US Army places $2.3B Black Hawk order with Sikorsky

Black Hawk flight
Illustration: US Army photo of Idaho National Guard Black Hawk helicopters

The United States and Sikorsky have signed what is probably a record UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter deal that will see the company deliver a baseline of 120 helicopters.

The five-year contract has options to reach a total of 255 aircraft to be delivered to the US Army and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers.

The contract value for expected deliveries is approximately $2.3 billion, with a potential value of up to $4.4 billion, should options for additional aircraft be fully exercised.

The “multi-year X” contract for UH-60M Black Hawk and HH-60M MEDEVAC aircraft marks the 10th multiple-year contract for Sikorsky and the U.S. government for H-60 helicopters. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in July and continue through 2027.

With more than 2,100 H-60 variants in the US Army’s inventory, the Black Hawk continues to be the workhorse and backbone of US Army Aviation. As the Army continues to develop its Future Vertical Lift (FVL) capabilities, they will continue to operate the H-60M for the next several decades and alongside the future fleet.

Sikorsky has a contender in the FVL competition too, having been awarded a $284.4 million contract together with Boeing to proceed to the next stage of the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) program. Boeing and Sikorsky are competing against Bell in this program, while a broader pool of companies is competing for the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) prototype contract.

The multi-year X for the Black Hawk could be the last one for Sikorsky as the Army plans to end procurements after the multi-year construct ends in 2027.

“This multi-year agreement allows the Army to meet current and future capability needs through upgrades, remanufacturing, replacement, and technology insertions,” said Col. Calvin Lane, the Utility Helicopters project manager. “The efficiencies of this contract make the best use of limited resources and result in direct savings to the Army and to taxpayers.”

“Decades of Black Hawk production and enhancements, strong program execution and close partnership with the Army has kept the program thriving, and this contract is a testament to that success,” said Nathalie Previte, vice president of Sikorsky’s Army and Air Force programs. “Additionally, we continue to see strong international interest in the Black Hawk due to its versatility and proven record of providing unwavering support to the US and nations around the globe.”