While the MV-75 tiltrotor selected for FLRAA continues its tests, the US Army, planning to keep its fleet of UH-60 helicopters, is continuing with new orders.
Sikorsky announced the fifth contract worth $433.2 million within the scope of a multi-year contract to keep adding the most recent variant of UH-60, HH-60/UH-60M, to its inventory.
According to the contract, nine UH-60M utility helicopters and 15 HH-60M MEDEVAC helicopters will be delivered between 2026 Q2 and 2027 Q4.
UH-60M features improvements in avionics and flight performance compared to previous models. The upgrades include rotor blades with more chord length to improve efficiency and T700-GE-701D turboshaft engines.
This variant also forms the basis for the recently unveiled U-Hawk, a heavy RUAV using common components but with the replacement of the cockpit with a clamshell door for the loading of large cargo. UH-60M has been used as the testbed for Lockheed Martin’s MATRIX unmanned control kit.
MV-75 is Coming, but UH-60 is Here to Stay
MV-75 tiltrotor is set to serve in the US Army as the new utility platform selected under the FLRAA programme. Thanks to its tiltrotor layout, MV-75 can achieve high-speed cruise (>460 km/h) and longer range compared to a helicopter of similar weight. Additionally, the internal reworks on the tiltrotor system with the lessons taken from MV-22 seemingly offer improvements in safety in the event of an engine failure, as one engine can still power both rotors, and the lower disk loading provides better low-speed handling.
However, due to the complexity and cost of a tiltrotor and the conventional helicopters’ advantages in low-speed handling, the US Army plans to keep operating the UH-60 family into the 2070s, which would mark almost 100 years of service.
Efforts to keep UH-60 relevant include the U-Hawk, as mentioned earlier, and the GE T901 turboshaft engine upgrade, bringing the power to 3000 shp from 2000 shp.
Author: Kaan Azman
Editor: Özgür Ekşi
