Sikorsky UH - 60 Black Hawk The Sikorsky UH - 60 Black Hawk is a four - bladed , twin - engine , medium - lift utility helicopter manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft . Sikorsky submitted the S - 70 design for the United States Army ' s Utility Tactical Transport Aircraft System ( UTTAS ) competition in 1972 . 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 . The UH - 60A entered service with the U . S . Army in 1979 , to replace the Bell UH - 1 Iroquois as the Army ' s tactical transport helicopter . This was followed by the fielding of electronic warfare and special operations variants of the Black Hawk . Improved UH - 60L and UH - 60M utility variants have also been developed . Modified versions have also been developed for the U . S . Navy , Air Force , and Coast Guard . In addition to U . S . Army use , the UH - 60 family has been exported to several nations . Black Hawks have served in combat during conflicts in Grenada , Panama , Iraq , Somalia , the Balkans , Afghanistan , and other areas in the Middle East . Development . Initial requirement . 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 ) . The Army also initiated the development of a new , common turbine engine for its helicopters that would become the General Electric T700 . Based on experience in Vietnam , the Army required significant performance , survivability and reliability improvements from both UTTAS and the new powerplant . The Army released its UTTAS request for proposals ( RFP ) in January 1972 . The RFP also included air transport requirements . Transport aboard the C - 130 limited the UTTAS cabin height and length . The UTTAS requirements for improved reliability , survivability and lower life - cycle costs resulted in features such as dual - engines with improved hot and high altitude performance , and a modular design ( reduced maintenance footprint ) ; run - dry gearbox es ; ballistically tolerant , redundant subsystems ( hydraulic , electrical and flight controls ) ; crashworthy crew ( armored ) and troop seats ; dual - stage oleo main landing gear ; ballistically tolerant , crashworthy main structure ; quieter , more robust main and tail rotor systems ; and a ballistically tolerant , crashworthy fuel system . Four prototypes were constructed , with the first YUH - 60A flying on 17 October 1974 . Prior to delivery of the prototypes to the US Army , a preliminary evaluation was conducted in November 1975 to ensure the aircraft could be operated safely during all testing . Three of the prototypes were delivered to the Army in March 1976 , for evaluation against the rival Boeing - Vertol design , the YUH - 61A , and one was kept by Sikorsky for internal research . The Army selected the UH - 60 for production in December 1976 . Deliveries of the UH - 60A to the Army began in October 1978 and the helicopter entered service in June 1979 . Upgrades and variations . After entering service , the helicopter was modified for new missions and roles , including mine laying and medical evacuation . An EH - 60 variant was developed to conduct electronic warfare and special operations aviation developed the MH - 60 variant to support its missions . Due to weight increases from the addition of mission equipment and other changes , the Army ordered the improved UH - 60L in 1987 . The new model incorporated all of the modifications made to the UH - 60A fleet as standard design features . The UH - 60L also featured more power and lifting capability with upgraded T700 - GE - 701C engines and a stronger gearbox , both developed for the SH - 60B Seahawk . Its external lift capacity increased by to . The UH - 60L also incorporated the automatic flight control system ( AFCS ) from the SH - 60 for better flight control due to handling issues with the more powerful engines . Production of the L - model began in 1989 . Development of the next improved variant , the UH - 60M , was approved in 2001 , to extend the service life of the UH - 60 design into the 2020s . The UH - 60M incorporates upgraded T700 - GE - 701D engines and improved rotor blades . It also features state of the art electronic instrumentation , flight controls and aircraft navigation control . After the U . S . DoD approved low - rate initial production of the new variant , manufacturing began in 2006 , with the first of 22 new UH - 60Ms delivered in July 2006 . After an initial operational evaluation , the Army approved full - rate production and a five - year contract for 1 , 227 helicopters in December 2007 . By March 2009 , 100 UH - 60M helicopters had been delivered to the Army . In the 1 May 2011 operation that killed Osama bin Laden , it emerged that the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment , which operated the helicopters during the raid , used a highly modified version of the UH - 60 . Features apparently include a modified tail section with extra blades on the tail rotor and other additions which significantly lowered noise levels from that of conventional UH - 60s . It also had low - observable technology similar to that of F - 117 that enabled it to evade Pakistan Air Force radars . The aircraft seemed to include features like special high - tech materials , harsh angles , and flat surfaces , found only on sophisticated stealth jets . This came to light only when one of the helicopters used in the operation crashed and was subsequently destroyed except for its tail section . Low observable versions of the Black Hawk have been studied as far back as the mid - 1970s . In September 2012 , Sikorsky was awarded a Combat Tempered Platform Demonstration ( CTPD ) contract to further improve the Black Hawk ' s durability and survivability . Sikorsky is to develop new technologies such as a zero - vibration system , adaptive flight control laws , advanced fire management , a more durable main rotor , full - spectrum crashworthiness , and damage tolerant airframe , then transition them to the helicopter . Improvements to the Black Hawk are to continue in preparation for the Future Vertical Lift program that is to replace it . Design . The UH - 60 features four - blade main and tail rotors , and is powered by two General Electric T700 turboshaft engines . The main rotor is fully articulated and has elastomeric bearings in the rotor head . The tail rotor is canted and features a rigid crossbeam . The helicopter has a long , low profile shape to meet the Army ' s requirement for transporting aboard a C - 130 Hercules , with some disassembly . It can carry 11 troops with equipment , lift 2 , 600 lb ( 1 , 170 kg ) of cargo internally or 9 , 000 lb ( 4 , 050 kg ) of cargo ( for UH - 60L / M ) externally by sling . The Black Hawk helicopter series can perform a wide array of missions , including the tactical transport of troops , electronic warfare , and aeromedical evacuation . A VIP version known as the VH - 60N is used to transport important government officials ( e . g . , Congress , Executive departments ) with the helicopter ' s call sign of " Marine One " when transporting the President of the United States . In air assault operations it can move a squad of 11 combat troops or reposition a 105 mm M119 howitzer with 30 rounds ammunition , and a four - man crew in a single lift . The Black Hawk is equipped with advanced avionics and electronics for increased survivability and capability , such as the Global Positioning System . The UH - 60 can be equipped with stub wings at top of fuselage to carry fuel tanks or various armaments . The initial stub wing system is called External Stores Support System ( ESSS ) . It has two pylons on each wing to carry two and two tanks in total . The four fuel tanks and associated lines and valves form the external extended range fuel system ( ERFS ) . U . S . Army UH - 60s have had their ESSS modified into the crashworthy external fuel system ( CEFS ) configuration , replacing the older tanks with up to four total crashworthy tanks along with self - sealing fuel lines . The ESSS can also carry of armament such as rockets , missiles and gun pods . The ESSS entered service in 1986 . However it was found that with four fuel tanks it would obstruct the firing field of the door guns . To alleviate the issue , the external tank system ( ETS ) with unswept stub wings to carry two fuel tanks was developed . The unit cost varies with the version due to the varying specifications , equipment and quantities . For example , the unit cost of the Army ' s UH - 60L Black Hawk is $ 5 . 9 million while the unit cost of the Air Force HH - 60G Pave Hawk is $ 10 . 2 million . Operational history . United States . The UH - 60 entered service with the U . S . Army ' s 101st Combat Aviation Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division in June 1979 . The U . S . military first used the UH - 60 in combat during the invasion of Grenada in 1983 , and again in the invasion of Panama in 1989 . During the Gulf War in 1991 , the UH - 60 participated in the largest air assault mission in U . S . Army history with over 300 helicopters involved . Two UH - 60s ( 89 - 26214 and 78 - 23015 ) were shot down , both on 27 February 1991 , while performing Combat Search and Rescue of other downed aircrews , an F - 16C pilot and the crew of a MEDEVAC UH - 1H that were shot down earlier that day . In 1993 , Black Hawks featured prominently in the assault on Mogadishu in Somalia . Black Hawks also saw action in the Balkans and Haiti in the 1990s . U . S . Army UH - 60s and other helicopters conducted many air assault and other support missions during the 2003 invasion of Iraq . The UH - 60 has continued to serve in operations in Afghanistan and Iraq . The U . S . Border Patrol uses the UH - 60 in its operations specifically along the southwest border . The Black Hawk has been used by the Border Patrol to interdict the illegal entry of aliens into the U . S . and the incursion of dangerous individuals . Additionally , the Border Patrol regularly uses the UH - 60 in search and rescue operations . Highly modified H - 60s were employed during the U . S . Special Forces operation that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden on 1 May 2011 . One such helicopter experienced mechanical trouble during the operation and the team was forced to destroy it before departing in the other MH - 60 and a backup MH - 47 Chinook with bin Laden ' s remains . Two MH - 47s were used for the mission to refuel the two MH - 60s and as backups . Several media outlets have reported that Pakistani government has granted the Chinese military access to the remains of the crashed ' stealth ' UH - 60 variant in Abbotabad . Pakistan and China deny the reports , and the U . S . Government has not confirmed the Chinese access . Colombia . Colombia first received UH - 60s from the United States in 1987 . The Colombian National Police , Colombian Air Force , and Colombian Army use UH - 60s to mobilize troops and supplies to places which are difficult to access by ground for counter - insurgency ( COIN ) operations against drug and guerrilla organizations , as well as for search & rescue and medical evacuation . Colombia also operates a militarized gunship version of the UH - 60 , with stub wings , locally known as " Arpía " ( ) . The Colombian Army became the first worldwide operator of the S - 70i with Terrain Awareness and Warning Capability ( HTAWS ) after taking delivery of the first two units on August 13 , 2013 . Israel . The Israeli Air Force ( IAF ) received 10 surplus UH - 60A Black Hawks from the United States in August 1994 . Named " Yanshuf " ( ) by the IAF , the UH - 60A began replacing Bell 212 utility helicopters of the Israeli Defense Forces . The IAF first used the UH - 60s in combat in April 1996 , during operation " Grapes of Wrath " against the Hezbollah in southern Lebanon . In March 2000 , three IAF UH - 60s were used to ferry Pope John Paul II during his visit to Israel , with one helicopter carrying the Pope , another his medical team and a third available on constant standby . Mexico . The Mexican Air Force ordered its first two UH - 60Ls in 1991 to transport special forces units and since then purchased another 4 in 1994 . In July and August 2009 , the Federal Police used UH - 60s in attacks on drug traffickers . In 25 August 2011 , the Mexican Navy received three upgraded and navalized UH - 60M . People ' s Republic of China . In December 1983 , examples of the Aerospatiale AS - 332 Super Puma , Bell 214ST SuperTransport and Sikorsky S - 70A - 5 ( N3124B ) were airlifted to Lhasa for testing . These demonstrations included take - offs and landings at altitudes to 17 , 000 feet and enroute operations to 24 , 000 feet . At the end of this testing , the People ' s Liberation Army Air Force purchased 24 S - 70C - 2s . These S - 70C - 2s equipped with more powerful GE T700 - 701A engines , for improved high - altitude performance . While designated as civil variants of the S - 70 for export purposes , they are operated by the People ' s Liberation Army Air Force . Republic of China ( Taiwan ) . Taiwan has operated S - 70C - 1 / 1A since the ROC Air Force received ten S - 70C - 1A and four S - 70C - 1 Bluehawk helicopters in June 1986 for Search And Rescue . Four further S - 70C - 6s were received in April 1998 . The ROC Navy received the first of ten S - 70C ( M ) - 1s in July 1990 . 11 S - 70C ( M ) - 2s were received beginning April 2000 . In January 2010 , the US announced a Foreign Military Sale of 60 UH - 60Ms to Taiwan for the ROC Army . Sweden . Sweden requested 15 UH - 60M helicopters by a Foreign Military Sale in September 2010 . On 18 May 2011 , Sikorsky announced the sale of 15 UH - 60Ms to Sweden . Helicopter deliveries began in 2012 and completed by April 2013 . In March 2013 Swedish ISAF forces began using Black Hawks in Afghanistan for MEDEVAC purposes . The UH - 60Ms are to be fully operational by 2017 . Turkey . Turkey has operated the UH - 60 during NATO deployments to Afghanistan and the Balkans . The UH - 60 has also been used in counter - terror / internal security operations . The Black Hawk competed in the Turkish General Use Helicopter Tender against the AgustaWestland AW149 . Under this project Turkey intends to order up to 115 helicopters and produce many of them indigenously . Turkish Aerospace Industries will be responsible for the final integration and assembly . On 21 April 2011 , Turkey announced the selection of Sikorsky ' s T - 70 for the tender . Other and potential users . The United Arab Emirates has received 20 UH - 60Ls by November 2010 . The nation requested 14 UH - 60M helicopters in September 2008 through a Foreign Military Sale . The package includes laser and radar warning sensors as well as weapons systems . Bahrain ordered 9 UH - 60Ms in 2007 . Four UH - 60L bought in 1997 for the peacekeeping forces of Brazilian Army in Peru - Ecuador border ( MOMEP , Missão de Observação Militar Equador - Peru ) . Afterward they were assigned to 4th Aviation Army Battalion at Manaus . Brazil has requested 15 additional UH - 60Ls through a Foreign Military Sale in 2008 . Brazil ' s first two UH - 60Ls were delivered in March 2011 . They are operated by the Panther Squadron ( 5 / 8 GAv – Aviation Group ) , based at Santa Maria Air Force Base . In November 2011 , it was reported that Sikorsky would sell 12 UH - 60Ms to the Royal Brunei Air Force . On 12 June 2012 , the U . S . Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress that Qatar requested the purchase 12 UH - 60Ms , engines , and associated equipment . On 25 February 2013 , the Indonesian Army announced interest to buy UH - 60 Black Hawks as part of its effort to modernize its weaponry . The army wants them for combating terrorism , transnational crime , and insurgency to secure the archipelago . Variants . The UH - 60 comes in many variants , and many different modifications . The U . S . Army variants can be fitted with the stub wings to carry additional fuel tanks or weapons . Variants may have different capabilities and their respective equipment in order to fulfill different roles . S - 70A . Sikorsky military model for the export market : Specifications ( UH - 60L ) .