The Army released its UTTAS request for proposals (RFP) in January 1972. Based on experience in Vietnam, the Army required significant performance, survivability and reliability improvements from both UTTAS and the new powerplant. The Army also initiated the development of a new, common turbine engine for its helicopters that would become the General Electric T700. In the late 1960s, the United States Army began forming requirements for a helicopter to replace the UH-1 Iroquois, and designated the program as the Utility Tactical Transport Aircraft System (UTTAS).
Black Hawks have served in combat during conflicts in Grenada, Panama, Iraq, Somalia, the Balkans, Afghanistan, and other areas in the Middle East.ĭevelopment Initial requirement Army use, the UH-60 family has been exported to several nations. Modified versions have also been developed for the U.S. Improved UH-60L and UH-60M utility variants have also been developed. This was followed by the fielding of electronic warfare and special operations variants of the Black Hawk. Army in 1979, to replace the Bell UH-1 Iroquois as the Army's tactical transport helicopter. Named after the Native American war leader Black Hawk, the UH-60A entered service with the U.S. The Army designated the prototype as the YUH-60A and selected the Black Hawk as the winner of the program in 1976, after a fly-off competition with the Boeing Vertol YUH-61. Sikorsky submitted the S-70 design for the United States Army's Utility Tactical Transport Aircraft System (UTTAS) competition in 1972. The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk is a four-blade, twin-engine, medium-lift utility helicopter manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft. For an overview of the S-70 family and for its civilian models and operators, see Sikorsky S-70.Ī UH-60 Black Hawk from the 2nd Cavalry Regiment of United States Army Europe. For USAF variants, see Sikorsky HH-60 Pave Hawk. This article is about the Sikorsky S-70 family's US Army military versions and their operators.