Sikorsky Aircraft Delivers First UH-60M Helicopter to Federal Bureau of Investigation

PARIS, June 15 /PRNewswire/ -- PARIS AIR SHOW -- Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. announced today that it has delivered the first UH-60M helicopter to the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation. Sikorsky Aircraft is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX).
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The delivery marks the first UH-60M aircraft to enter service outside of the U.S. Army. The FBI is expected to take delivery of a total of three UH-60M aircraft this year. The helicopters will allow the FBI to modernize its rotary wing fleet and achieve its agency mission requirements.
"Sikorsky is honored to be delivering its first ever aircraft to the FBI," said Doug Shidler, Sikorsky Vice President, Army Systems. "This marks the addition of another valued BLACK HAWK helicopter customer, but it also demonstrates Sikorsky's capability to support the fielding of U.S. Army units while also delivering to other customers early in the build process."
With a new airframe, avionics and propulsion system, the UH-60M helicopter is the latest and most modern in a series of BLACK HAWK helicopter variants that Sikorsky has been delivering to the Army since 1978.
The UH-60M helicopter's new composite spar wide-chord blade provides 227 kg (500 lbs) more lift than the UH-60L blade. The new General Electric T700-GE-701D engine adds more horsepower and allows additional lift during external lift (sling load) operations.
The UH-60M helicopter represents the Army's third standard baseline BLACK HAWK helicopter version in the 30-year production history of the program. Sikorsky delivered the UH-60A BLACK HAWK helicopters from 1978 until 1989, and delivered the UH-60L helicopter from 1989 until 2007. Sikorsky is also working on an upgrade to the UH-60M helicopter, which features fly-by-wire flight controls, full authority digital engine controllers, and enhanced cockpit displays.
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., based in Stratford, Conn., USA, is a world leader in helicopter design, manufacture and service. United Technologies Corp., based in Hartford, Conn., USA, provides a broad range of high technology products and support services to the aerospace and building systems industries.