The New York (NY) Army National Guard in the US has received the first two of 20 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters.
The two helicopters arrived at the flight facilities at Islip MacArthur and Albany International Airports and were assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 142nd Aviation Regiment.
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The induction of the new Black Hawk model is part of the process of equipping NY Army Guard with the latest model of UH-60 helicopters.
Chief Warrant Officer 4 Robert Hansen said: “The Mike model UH-60 Black Hawks are new, fresh from the factory upgrades to our current fleet, providing aircrews with the latest in the army’s inventory of aviation.”
The UH-60M is equipped with upgraded T700-GE-701D engines, improved rotor blades, a fly-by-wire glass cockpit, as well as better flight controls and aircraft navigation. The aircraft also has an improved lift capability compared to prior versions.
Hansen added: “These 20 aircraft will provide significant improvements in the Army National Guard’s ability to safely execute missions both here in New York and around the world with improved lift capabilities, auto-pilot, ergonomic technology and state of the art digital cockpits.”
More than 2,000 UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter variants are currently in service with the US military.
The US Army will be fielding the latest ‘Mike’ models of the helicopter until 2026.
The NY battalion started training to fly the upgraded model in 2018. Qualification training for pilots included a six-week transition course included.
Hansen said that the deliveries of all helicopters are expected to be completed by December next year.
