Sikorsky Unveils Revolutionary Black Hawk® Trials with Cutting-Edge T901 Turbine Engines for the U.S. Army

Sikorsky, a division of Lockheed Martin, has initiated its first ground evaluations on a UH-60M Black Hawk® helicopter equipped with two GE Aerospace T901 Enhanced Turbine Engines (ETE). During this assessment, the T901 engine exhibited its competence through a series of rigorous tests. The initial ignition and ground evaluations were executed by a joint team from the U.S. Army and industry, led by Army and Sikorsky pilots.

“Personnel will rely on Black Hawk helicopters far into the future, and upgrades to the aircraft today will offer advantages for years to come, promoting new missions such as deploying and overseeing launched effects,” remarked Hamid Salim, vice president of Army and Air Force Systems at Sikorsky. “An upgraded Black Hawk fleet will create new operational opportunities for the Army by enhancing the capabilities of a reliable, established fleet to travel farther on less fuel and to support more personnel and cargo.”

The first flight of the ETE-equipped Black Hawk is anticipated to take place this year.

Advancing to Initial Flight

The ground evaluations on the T901 ETE engines confirmed system operation, engine condition, and test configuration for an efficient assessment process.

The evaluation illustrated the T901’s transition from start to flight, encompassing idle and flight modes, with the rotor brake disengaged, representing a significant milestone towards the initiative’s goal of delivering a more powerful and efficient engine for the next-generation Black Hawk.

The start-to-flight transition tests the performance of the entire system, from the engine ignition sequence to the engagement of the main rotor to enable lift-off. The testing crew verifies that all essential systems, including fuel, electrical, hydraulic, and flight control systems, are functioning as expected.

The successful ground assessment set the stage for more advanced testing, such as hover and forward flight evaluations.

A Revamped Black Hawk

The T901 engine will enhance the Black Hawk’s power output by 50%, while also boosting fuel efficiency and serves as a key element of the strategy for a revamped Black Hawk – a vital aspect of Lockheed Martin’s 21st Century Security® vision.

Sikorsky H-60M modernization efforts continue to focus on ETE, in addition to a Modular Open Systems Approach/digital backbone and Launched Effects. Digital innovations, such as a cutting-edge sustainment digital twin, improve safety and mission readiness while reducing costly downtime and unforeseen maintenance. Since 2022, Sikorsky has demonstrated the ability to minimize pilot workload and increase safety by incorporating established autonomy features into Black Hawk.