Global Black Hawk Operators Chart Next 50 Years

More than 125 Black Hawk operators from around the world joined Sikorsky in Connecticut for the second Black Hawk Operators Conference. Operators from Europe, South America, the Indo Pacific, Middle East and seven U.S. states discussed the Black Hawk of today - and for the next 50 years.

"The Sikorsky team is honored to host this gathering, where we not only celebrate the capabilities of the Black Hawk helicopter, but also the incredible expertise each customer brings to its operation," said Sikorsky Vice President and General Manager Rich Benton. "It is a privilege to support the life-saving missions of crews around the world with the Black Hawk's proven versatility and interoperability, and we are excited about its future with the U.S. Army and our international operators."

Attendees tour Sikorsky's Stratford, CT headquarters. Photo courtesy, Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company.

The three-day event kicked off with a tour of Sikorsky's headquarters in Stratford where attendees explored cutting-edge manufacturing facilities and then experienced a fully autonomous flight demonstration of Sikorsky's Optionally Piloted Vehicle (OPV) Black Hawk. Attendees also discussed their operations and mission requirements, shared inspiring life-saving missions and reviewed the latest technologies and advancements.

Major Ferdinand Halasz (second from right) received the Maintenance Award and Colonel Tomas Pavlik (right) accepted a 1,000 Hour Flight Award on behalf of Colonel Stefan Okos. Photo courtesy, Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company.

Sikorsky leadership recognized customers such as the Slovak Air Force's maintainer and pilot who were recognized for their continuous service and 1,000 hours of flying the Black Hawk.

Sikorsky Vice President of Army and Air Force Systems Hamid Salim discusses Sikorsky innovations at the Black Hawk Operators Conference. Photo courtesy, Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company.

The Next 50 Years

"The Black Hawk has a long-standing legacy, but the focus of this forum was on the future and modernization as this multi-purpose aircraft will serve for another 50 years," said Vice President of Army and Air Force Systems Hamid Salim. "We are committed to working closely with our customers to understand their mission requirements, modernize the fleet and deliver a solution to meet today and tomorrow's challenges."

The Black Hawk will fly into the 2070s, and Sikorsky is partnering with the Army to innovate and modernize the aircraft to deliver 21^st Century Security® capabilities. The next-generation Black Hawk will be equipped with a more powerful engine, open system architecture, launched effects, a digital backbone and autonomous capabilities. Simply put, the Black Hawk will be faster, more powerful, more survivable, more sustainable, and more connected than ever before.

The event took place one week ahead of the 50^th anniversary of the first flight of the S-70 Black Hawk, the prototype of the UH-60 Black Hawk.

Black Hawk: A Global Game-Changing Presence

The Black Hawk helicopter is the world's most versatile utility helicopter with over 4,000 flying worldwide and is operated by the U.S. Army and more than 35 additional countries around the globe. Today's Black Hawk flies higher and carries more than its predecessors ever did. It can perform exercises ranging from troop and supply transport to external lift, to combat assault, to Search and Rescue, to VIP transport and firefighting. To meet the global demand for the Black Hawk helicopter, the U.S. Army officially awarded a contract to provide 74 Black Hawks to five allied nations.