Battle Stations II
UH-60
Black Hawk
Dimensions Overall
length (rotor turning) 64ft 10in (19.76m), overall
height 16ft 10in (5.13m)
Weight (UH, normal mission) 16,260 lb (7,375kg)
Propulsion 2 x T700-GE-701Cs
Crew 3
Maximum speed (UH) 184mph (296kmh)
Maximum range UH at maximum weight with 30-minute reserves 373
miles (600km), Sea Hawk c. 500
miles (805km). For self-ferrying duties, external fuel tanks can
be attached to gave a range of 1,323 miles (1,230km)
The Black Hawk helicopter family was developed by Sikorsky to answer a requirement from the US Army for a UTTAS (utility tactical-transport aircraft system) for general battlefield supply duties. Its basic role called for a crew of three and a cabin for 11 troops with full equipment, but the UH-60A can readily be fitted with 14 troop seats or six litters. The helicopter's hook can take a load of 8,000 lb (3,629kg), and a typical frontline load can be a 105mm gun, 50 rounds of packaged ammunition and a five-man guncrew.
The protective armour on the Black Hawk can withstand hits from ground fire and the helicopter can disperse chaff and infrared jamming flares using the M 130 general-purpose dispenser. The ESSES (external stores support system) adds 'wings' with four pylons on which anything can be hung, from motorcycles to Hellfire missiles. Guns pods are another armament alternative, as are door-mounted 7.62mm machine-guns and the M56 mine-dispensing system.
The Black Hawk can be used for medical evacuation, command and control, in an electronic countermeasures (ECM) or target acquisition role, or for reconnaissance and combat rescue missions. The helicopter's compact design enables it to be fitted inside a C-130 transport aircraft, while a C-5 Galaxy can carry six Black Hawks.
The helicopter is also flown by the US Air Force, the Marines and the US Navy, the last achieving operational capability in 1984. The tasks of the Navy's Seahawk (SH) include all-weather ASW (anti-submarine) and ASST (anti-ship targeting and surveillance) operations.
The UH-60A was first flown in October 1974 and deployed in 1978. As the primary division-level transport helicopter, it provided dramatic improvements in troop capacity and lift capability over the UH-1 series Huey, which it was designed to replace.
Although most of the Black Hawk's critical parts were designed to withstand 23m shellfire, its vulnerability to ground fire, including rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), was demonstrated in Somalia in October 1993 during an attempt by US forces to seize Somali warlords. Two Black Hawks were brought down by ground fire and a third badly damaged in an operation that claimed the lives of 18 US servicemen and left 73 wounded. The incident formed the basis of a best-selling book and a 2001 movie, Black Hawk Down, directed by Ridley Scott.
Elements of the US Army's Black Hawk fleet reached their 25-year life goal in 2002. They have undergone a refurbishment that is part of an overall programme designed to extend the service life of the helicopter through 2025-2030. Primary areas for attention are increased lift and advanced avionics, enhanced survivability and improved reliability.
