DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S. DoD Awarded Contract To Sikorsky Aircraft Corp.,, For 12 UH-60M Black Hawk Helicopters For Saudi Arabian National Guard

Defense News: DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S. DoD Awarded Contract To Sikorsky Aircraft Corp.,, For 12 UH-60M Black Hawk Helicopters For Saudi Arabian National Guard

Source: K. V. Seth DTN News + U.S. DoD issued No. CR-158-14 August 19, 2014
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - August 19, 2014: Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., Stratford, Connecticut, was awarded a $30,351,927 modification (P00072) to foreign military sales contract (Saudi Arabia) W58RGZ-12-C-0008 for 12 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters for the Saudi Arabian National Guard. 

Fiscal 2014 other procurement (Army) funds in the amount of $30,351,927 were obligated at the time of the award. Estimated completion date is Aug. 31, 2017. 

Work will be performed in Jupiter, Florida, and Stratford, Connecticut. 

Versatile, dependable and rugged: just three reasons why 25 nations depend on BLACK HAWK helicopters for multi-mission support. With more than 2,300 aircraft in service through 30 years of legendary performance for the BLACK HAWK family, UH-60M and S-70iTM  BLACK HAWK helicopters clearly demonstrate Sikorsky's continued commitment to our customers' tactical operations.

Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity.

UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter

More than 2,000 UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter variants are in service with the US Military and more than 600 exported.

Black Hawk helicopters have logged over four million flying hours, including a diverse range of combat missions in Grenada, Panama, in the liberation of Kuwait, Somalia, Afghanistan, Iraq and numerous humanitarian and rescue missions including operations in Bosnia.

The helicopters are manufactured at the Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation production facilities based in Stratford, Connecticut, USA. Licensed production of Black Hawk helicopters is also carried out in Japan and the Republic of Korea.

The primary mission of the Black Hawk helicopter is as a troop carrier and logistical support aircraft, but in addition the helicopter can be configured to carry out medical evacuation, command-and-control, search-and-rescue, armed escort, electronic warfare and executive transport missions.

UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter design

Black Hawk has low detectability and outstanding nap-of-the-earth flight capabilities. The aircraft is tolerant to small arms fire and most high-explosive, medium-calibre (23mm) projectiles. The flight controls are ballistically hardened and the helicopter is equipped with redundant electric and hydraulic systems.

"The S-70A Black Hawk cabin provides accommodation for 11 fully equipped troops or four litters."

The helicopter has the ability to absorb high-impact velocities. The fuel system is crash-resistant and self-sealing. The crew seats and the landing gear are energy absorbing.
UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter upgrade programme

In April 2001, the US Army approved an upgrade programme for more than 1,500 Black Hawks to UH-60M standard. The first flight of the UH60M took place in September 2003 and three helicopters have been delivered for the test programme.

"The UH-60M features new wide chord composite spar main rotor blades."
The US Army initially decided to opt for new build helicopters rather than upgrade existing airframes.

The new-build helicopter entered low-rate initial production (LRIP) in April 2005. The first of 22 new UH-60Ms was delivered in July 2006. Initial operational evaluation (OPEVAL) was successful and a decision on full-rate production of 1,227 helicopters was authorised in December 2007 with the award of a five-year contract. Under this contract six UH-60M utility and 20 HH-60M combat rescue helicopters were ordered in March 2008.

In December 2007, the US Army ordered 11 low-rate initial production (LRIP) upgrade UH60M. The UH-60M upgrade completed its maiden flight in August 2008. More than 950 aircraft are scheduled to be delivered by 2025. As of July 2012, Sikorsky had delivered 400 UH-60M helicopters.

The UH-60M features new wide chord composite spar main rotor blades (which provide 500lb more lift than the current UH-60L blade), strengthened fuselage and advanced infrared suppression.

The fly-by-wire glass cockpit has a digitised 1553 bus-based avionics suite with four Rockwell Collins multi-function displays, four-axis fully-coupled autopilot, two Canadian Marconi (CMC) electronic flight management systems, dual Honeywell embedded GPS inertial (EGI) navigation system, digital moving map and Goodrich integrated vehicle health management system (IHVMS).

The new General Electric T700-GE-701D engine (with full authority digital electronic control) is more powerful and provides additional lift during sling load operations.

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*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth + U.S. DoD issued No. CR-158-14 August 19, 2014
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*Photograph: IPF (International Pool of Friends) + DTN News / otherwise source stated
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
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DTN News - POLAND DEFENSE NEWS: Poland Ups Military Helicopter Contest To 70 Aircraft

Defense News: DTN News - POLAND DEFENSE NEWS: Poland Ups Military Helicopter Contest To 70 Aircraft

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources AFP, AgustaWestland & Polish Air Force
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - October 3, 2012: NATO-member Poland is in the market for 70 new military helicopters, more than double the number it first sought in March, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Wednesday.

"We're determined to speed up and expand our helicopter plans with the immediate decision to buy 70 helicopters for the Polish army," the PAP news agency quoted Tusk as saying.

Delivery of the first choppers is expected by 2014, he said, describing the cost of the project as "gigantic", but declining to name a figure.

In March, Warsaw announced a tender to buy 26 multipurpose helicopters for its army worth an estimated 1.5-3.0 billion zlotys (360-720 million euros, $480-960 million).

The move is seen as a significant step in the Polish army's drive to replace 250 Soviet-era helicopters in the years to come.

A former communist state of 38.2 million, among the first to join NATO in 1999 and member of the European Union since 2004, Poland has two helicopter plants, run by British-Italian AgustaWestland and the US Sikorsky Aircraft respectively.

Polish media have tipped them as the odds-on favourites in the tender.

AgustaWestland in 2010 bought Polish helicopter producer PZL Swidnik, which makes the Sokol helicopters used in rescue operations, by firefighters and for transport, and above all by the army.

It sells its helicopters in Poland, the Czech Republic and South Korea.

AgustaWestland plans to start producing AW 109, AW 119 and AW 139 helicopters in Swidnik in southern Poland, alongside parts for the AW 101 model.

Sikorsky has started to produce a new version of the Black Hawk S70i for export in the PZL Mielec plant, also in southern Poland

Tusk was on Wednesday visiting a military exercise range in Drawsko, northwest Poland, where Polish forces are currently staging their largest annual military exercise, code-named Anakonda 12.

He also announced that Poland's failed attempt to build its first naval corvette-type vessel -- a decade-old project dubbed Gawron and mired in allegations of high-level corruption -- will be salvaged by completing the craft as a patrol boat.

Helicopters used today by the Polish Air Force:

The first two Bell 412HP helicopters were delivered to Poland in 1991 during the preparations for the pilgrimage of the Pope ? John Paul II. At the time they were both rented from the United States. The first Polish Bell 412HP was delivered in July 1993 and was designated with the side nr 02. Today it remains in service at the 36th Special Air Transport Regiment, Warsaw-Okecie.

The Bell 412 HP is a multi-role lightweight helicopter capable of carrying up to 7 passengers.

Maximum altitude: 2100 m. Maximum velocity: 230 km/h. Maximum range: 745 km. Maintenance costs per hour: 13,973 PLN.

The first Mi-2 (W-2) prototype was show to the public in 1961 in the USSR. After signing an agreement with Poland, the Russians moved part of their helicopter production plants to Swidnik. In 1965 the Mi-2 conducted its first test flight. Mass production of the Russian Mi-2 (W-2) began during summer 1966.

Poland acquired its first military version of the Mi-2 in December, 1966. Mass production began in 1967 with various version being released: transport, farming, civilian, training, rescue and combat. Altogether, over 5500 Mi-2 helicopters have been produced at the helicopter factories. 280 of them were directed to Polish military units and the majority ? exported to the USSR.

Maximum altitude: 4000 m. Maximum velocity: 200 km/h. Maximum range: 797 km. Maintainance costs per hour: 3,268 PLN.

The Mi-8 and Mi-17 helicopters were designed and constructed in a crude but durable manner. Even today, they still remain as the most common and reliable medium range transport helicopters used worldwide. The first Mi-8 (W-8) test flight was conducted in June 1961. The prototype used a single AL-24W engine and a four-bladed rotor. During the next two years a double-engine prototype was introduced. It was equipped with two TW2-117 engines and a five-bladed rotor. Mass production of the helicopter began at the Kazan aircraft factory in October 1965. In 1970 a second production facility in Ulan-Ude began constructing the Mi-8 (W-8). Since then, over 10,000 Mi-8 helicopters have been built.At first, the Mi-8T version served as a transport platform for soldiers and equipment. In 1968 a combat version ? the MI-8TW ? optimized for combat-strike mission was constructed. It featured two posts fitted on either side of the aircraft?s body with four UB16-57UD Cal. 57 mm rocket launcher pylons. This version was later equipped with a stronger, TW3-117 engine and named as the Mi-8MT. Serial  production of this model began in 1975.

The Polish Army acquired its first Mi-8 transport helicopters in 1968. During their first years of service, the helicopters were used mainly for transport operations. Some of them were later used at construction sites as ?flying cranes?. Currently, over thirty Mi-8 helicopters remain in service in the Polish Air Force.

Maximum altitude: 4500 m. Maximum velocity: 250 km/h. Maximum range: 985 km. Maintainance costs per hour: 10,843 PLN.

The first two prototypes of the W-3 helicopter were built at the PZL Swidnik aircraft construction plant in 1979. These models were however prepared only for ground tests. The first flight tests were conducted in 1982 on a third prototype designated SP-PSB. After completing the tests and acquiring permission from the USSR, serial production of the W-3 began.

The Polish Navy was the first branch of the Polish Armed Forces to acquire two of the W-3 transport helicopters. In 1993, more W-3 helicopters were purchased for the Polish Air and Air Defence Forces. A few years ago the W-3 achieved the ?A? category of the American certificate FAR-29 that allows aircraft to conduct flights over populated areas. The aircraft?s type number was then changed to W-3WA.

Maximum altitude: 4600 m. Maximum velocity: 255 km/h. Maximum range: 1125 km. Maintainance costs per hour: 7,160 zł. 

The PZL SW-4 is a lightweight training helicopter purchased especially for the Polish Air Force Academy in Deblin. It is capable of carrying 5 people ? 1 pilot and 4 passengers and an additional payload of 150 kilograms. The military version of the SW-4 is adapted for installation of night-vision optics as well as a small-caliber machinegun. A total of 20 SW-4 helicopters have been purchased for the Polish Air Force Academy but the majority is still being implemented to active service.

Maximum altitude: 5200 m. Maximum velocity: 260 km/h. Maximum range: 790 km.

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources AFP, AgustaWestland & Polish Air Force
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
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