Sikorsky Unveils New Era in Army Aviation with 10th H-60 Black Hawk Helicopter Deal
The U.S. government and Sikorsky, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT), have finalized a five-year agreement for a baseline of 120 H-60M Black Hawk helicopters, with options extending the total to 255 aircraft for delivery to the U.S. Army and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) clients. Sikorsky is actively modernizing and upgrading the Black Hawk to address the Army’s demanding and shifting operational requirements, ensuring a steady supply of aircraft through a streamlined production line, a mature and reliable supply network, and an advanced digital manufacturing facility.
The “Multi-Year X” arrangement for UH-60M Black Hawk and HH-60M MEDEVAC aircraft marks Sikorsky’s 10th multi-year contract with the U.S. government regarding H-60 helicopters. With over 2,100 H-60 variants currently in the U.S. Army’s inventory, the Black Hawk remains the essential workhorse and backbone of U.S. Army Aviation. As the Army progresses in developing its Future Vertical Lift (FVL) capabilities, it will continue to deploy the H-60M for decades to come while integrating it with future fleets.
The estimated contract value for anticipated deliveries is around $2.3 billion, with a possible value that could reach up to $4.4 billion if options for extra aircraft are fully activated. Deliveries under Multi-Year X are expected to start in July and continue through 2027.
“This Multi-Year contract enables the Army to fulfill current and forthcoming capability requirements via upgrades, remanufacturing, replacements, and technological advancements,” stated Col. Calvin Lane, the project manager for Utility Helicopters. “The efficiencies inherent in this contract maximize limited resources, yielding direct savings for both the Army and taxpayers.”
“Years of Black Hawk production and continuous enhancements, efficient program execution, and a strong collaboration with the Army have ensured the program’s success, and this contract reflects that achievement,” mentioned Nathalie Previte, vice president of Sikorsky’s Army and Air Force programs. “Moreover, we are witnessing robust international demand for the Black Hawk, attributed to its adaptability and proven track record of delivering dependable support to the U.S. and allied nations worldwide.”
“Sikorsky is committed to investing in the Black Hawk platform—from maintenance to digital innovations and modernizations—to equip our clients with the competitive advantage they need,” Previte added. “We have synchronized our investments with the Army’s technological roadmap, taking advantage of Future Vertical Lift technologies to ensure that the Black Hawk will be instrumental in the Joint All Domain Operations environment and the FVL ecosystem.”
The H-60M Black Hawk, recognized as the leading multi-mission combat assault utility helicopter, offers increased payload and range, state-of-the-art digital avionics, active vibration control, superior manufacturability, enhanced handling characteristics and situational awareness, as well as improved survivability.
