The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, AL recently issued $396.1 million in orders to United Technology subsidiary Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. in Stratford, CT for UH-60 Black Hawk and HH-60M MEDEVAC helicopters and related parts. The UH-60 Black Hawk is the backbone of US Army aviation, and acts as the US Army’s primary troop carrier and utility helicopter. Numerous variants perform missions varying from special forces support and search-and-rescue to electronic intercept, but the most common versions perform cargo or medical missions, or carry 8-11 troops.
Work will be performed in Stanford, CT, and the contracts include:
A $341.3 million modification to a firm-fixed-price contract for UH-60L and UH-60M Blackhawk Helicopters. Work will be performed in Stratford, Conn., and is expected to be complete by Dec. 31, 2007. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This was a sole source contract initiated on Oct. 4, 2000 (DAAH23-02-C-0006).
A $37 million modification to a firm-fixed-price contract for UH-60L and HH-60M Blackhawk Helicopters. Work is expected to be complete by Dec. 31, 2007.
This was a sole source contract initiated on Oct. 4, 2000 (DAAH23-02-C-0006).The HH-60M is a Medical Evacuation (MEDEVAC) version of the new UH-60M. The Army Program Objective Memorandum has called for more than 300 MEDEVAC Black Hawks to equip active and reserve units, and the HH-60M comes with upgraded engines and rotors, a Rockwell Collins integrated cockpit, and an enhanced medical oxygen generation system as well as the HH-60L’s improved medical suite, GPS, thermal imaging FLIR, communications systems, and avionics. As Rotor & Wing noted:
“For Dustoff crews, the advanced cockpit enables pilots to map entire missions on their displays, steer around thunderstorms with their L-3 Stormscope and see thermal imagery from the forward-looking infrared turret on the Black Hawk’s nose. UH-60Qs and early HH-60Ls carry FLIRSystems Star SAFIRE 1 FLIR gimbals; new HH-60Ls have the AN/AAQ-22 Star SAFIRE 2. On one night mission in Afghanistan, an HH-60L crew was asked to use its second-generation FLIR to identify a target too indistinct for the targeting FLIR on escorting Apaches.”
A $17.8 million firm-fixed-price contract for Rotor Hub Assemblies for the UH-60 Utility Blackhawk Helicopters. Work is expected to be complete by Jan. 31, 2008. There were two bids solicited on March 25, 2005, and two bids were received (W58RGZ-06-C-0069).