Basic Information

Name

UH-60P Black Hawk South Korean Utility Helicopter

Designation

UH-60P Black Hawk

Alternate Designation

UH-60P Black Hawk

Equipment Type

Utility Helicopter

Manufacturer

Korean Air

Date of Introduction

1993

Description

The story of the UH-60P Black Hawk helicopter for the Republic of Korea began in 1990 with a license agreement between Korean Air and Sikorsky Aircraft. Over the next nine years, Korean Air produced in Korea 124 of the 131 aircraft for the Republic of Korea Army. Together, the team equipped Korean industry with the expertise and technology needed for Korea to build, maintain, adapt and upgrade the UH-60P. Now, with another 20 years left in the fleet’s service life, it’s time for the Republic of Korea to modernize the world’s most proven, multirole military helicopter for future operations. Two decades is merely the half-life of a Black Hawk helicopter – a military design known for its reliability and ease of maintenance. By selecting OEM upgrades, the Republic of Korea Army can easily operate the UH-60P fleet for another 20 years of service life. Modernization — not a fleet replacement — is the easiest and most cost-effective approach for the Republic of Korea.

Air & Air Defense Specifications

Crew 3

Engine Turboshaft (1800 hp)

Variants

YUH-60A Initial test and evaluation version for U.S. Army. First flight on 17 October 1974; three built.

UH-60A Black Hawk Original U.S. Army version, carrying a crew of four and up to 11 equipped troops.

UH-60C Black Hawk Modified version for command and control (C2) missions.

CH-60E Proposed troop transport variant for the U.S. Marine Corps.

UH-60L Black Hawk UH-60A with upgraded T700-GE-701C engines

UH-60V Black Hawk Upgraded version of the UH-60L with the electronic displays (glass cockpit) of the UH-60M. Upgrades performed by Northrop Grumman featuring a centralized processor with a partitioned, modular operational flight program enabling capabilities to be added as software-only modifications.

UH-60M Black Hawk Improved design wide chord rotor blades, T700-GE-701D engines (max 2,000 shp or 1,500 kW each), improved durability gearbox, Integrated Vehicle Health Management System (IVHMS) computer, and new glass cockpit. Production began in 2006.

UH-60M Upgrade Black Hawk UH-60M with fly-by-wire system and Common Avionics Architecture System (CAAS) cockpit suite. Flight testing began in August 2008.

EH-60A Black Hawk UH-60A with modified electrical system and stations for two electronic systems mission operators. All examples of type have been converted back to standard UH-60A configuration.

YEH-60B Black Hawk UH-60A modified for special radar and avionics installations, prototype for stand-off target acquisition system.

EH-60C Black Hawk UH-60A modified with special electronics equipment and external antenna.

EUH-60L UH-60L modified with additional mission electronic equipment for Army Airborne C2.

EH-60L Black Hawk EH-60A with major mission equipment upgrade.

UH-60Q Black Hawk UH-60A modified for medical evacuation.

HH-60L UH-60L extensively modified with medical mission equipment. Components include an external rescue hoist, integrated patient configuration system, environmental control system, on-board oxygen system (OBOGS), and crashworthy ambulatory seats.

HH-60M Black Hawk UH-60M with medical mission equipment (medevac version) for U.S. Army.

HH-60U USAF UH-60M version modified with an electro-optical sensor and rescue hoist. Three in use by Air Force pilots and special mission aviators since 2011. Has 85% commonality with the HH-60W.

HH-60W Modified version of the UH-60M for the U.S. Air Force as a Combat Rescue Helicopter to replace HH-60G Pave Hawks with greater fuel capacity and more internal cabin space, dubbed the "60-Whiskey".

MH-60A Black Hawk 30 UH-60As modified with additional avionics, night vision capable cockpit, FLIR, M134 door guns, internal auxiliary fuel tanks and other Special Operations mission equipment in early 1980s for U.S. Army.

MH-60K Black Hawk Special operations modification first ordered in 1988 for use by the U.S. Army's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment ("Night Stalkers"). Equipped with the in-flight refueling probe, and T700-GE-701C engines. More advanced than the MH-60L, the K-model also includes an integrated avionics system (glass cockpit), AN/APQ-174B terrain-following radar, color weather map, improved weapons capability, and various defensive systems.

MH-60L Black Hawk Special operations modification, used by the U.S. Army's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment ("Night Stalkers"), based on the UH-60L with T700-701C engines. It was developed as an interim version in the late 1980s pending fielding of the MH-60K.

MH-60L DAP The Direct Action Penetrator (DAP) is a special operations modification of the baseline MH-60L, operated by the U.S. Army's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment.

MH-60M Black Hawk Special operations version of UH-60M for U.S. Army. Features the Rockwell Collins Common Avionics Architecture System (CAAS) glass cockpit and more powerful YT706-GE-700 engines.

MH-60 Black Hawk stealth helicopter One of two (known) specially modified MH-60s used in the raid on Osama bin Laden's compound in Pakistan on 1 May 2011 was damaged in a hard landing, and was subsequently destroyed by U.S. forces.

UH-60A RASCAL NASA-modified version for the Rotorcraft-Aircrew Systems Concepts Airborne Laboratory; a US$25M program for the study of helicopter maneuverability in three programs, Superaugmented Controls for Agile Maneuvering Performance (SCAMP), Automated Nap-of-the-Earth (ANOE) and Rotorcraft Agility and Pilotage Improvement Demonstration (RAPID).

OPBH On 11 March 2014, Sikorsky successfully conducted the first flight demonstration of their Optionally Piloted Black Hawk (OPBH), a milestone part of the company's Manned/Unmanned Resupply Aerial Lifter (MURAL) program to provide autonomous cargo delivery for the U.S. Army. The helicopter used the company's Matrix technology (software to improve features of autonomous, optionally-piloted VTOL aircraft) to perform autonomous hover and flight operations under the control of an operator using a man-portable Ground Control Station (GCS). The MURAL program is a cooperative effort between Sikorsky, the US Army Aviation Development Directorate (ADD), and the US Army Utility Helicopters Project Office (UH PO). The purpose of creating an optionally-manned Black Hawk is to make the aircraft autonomously carry out resupply missions and expeditionary operations while increasing sorties and maintaining crew rest requirements and leaving pilots to focus more on sensitive operations.

VH-60D Night Hawk VIP-configured HH-60D, used for Presidential transport by USMC. T700-GE-401C engines.

VH-60N White Hawk "White Top": Modified UH-60A with some features from the SH-60B/F Seahawks.

VH-60M Black Hawk "Gold Top": Heavily modified UH-60M used for executive transport. Members of the Joint Chiefs, Congressional leadership, and other DoD personnel are flown on these exclusively by the 12th Aviation Battalion at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

UH-60J Black Hawk Variant for the Japanese Air Self Defense Force and Maritime Self Defense Force produced under license by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Also known as the S-70-12.

UH-60JA Black Hawk Variant for the Japanese Ground Self Defense Force. It is license produced by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.

AH-60L Arpía Export version for Colombia developed by Elbit Systems, Sikorsky, and the Colombian Air Force. It is Counter-insurgency (COIN) attack version with improved electronics, firing system, FLIR, radar, light rockets and machine guns.

AH-60L Battle Hawk Export armed version unsuccessfully tendered for Australian Army project AIR87, similar to AH-60L Arpía III. Sikorsky has also offered a Battlehawk armed version for export in the form of armament kits and upgrades. Sikorsky's Armed Black hawk demonstrator has tested a 20 mm turreted cannon, and different guided missiles. The United Arab Emirates ordered Battlehawk kits in 2011.

UH-60P Black Hawk Version for South Korea Army, based on UH-60L with some improvements. Around 150 were produced under license by Korean Air.

System

Alternative Designation UH-60P Black Hawk

Type Utility Helicopter

Manufacturer Korean Air

Crew 3 (pilot, co-pilot, crew chief)

Passengers 14

Blades, Main Rotor 4 ea

Blades, Tail Rotor 4 ea

Number of Engines 2 ea

Number of Hard Points 4 Total, 2 per ESSS stub wings

Service Life With 50 percent of the service life still available to the UH-60P fleet, Korea will save significant funds by modernizing its existing aircraft with a digital backbone. The result will be a modern Black Hawk aircraft that will operate for a full 35-40 years, as do most other Black Hawk fleets around the world.

Military Specs Korean pilots and maintainers are accustomed to the UH-60P aircraft’s broad mission versatility, high flight reliability, and ease of maintenance. That’s because the Black Hawk helicopter is built to rigorous U.S. Military standards by design, which means it’s also maintainable in the field. As a durable military aircraft, the Black Hawk performs with consistent success on the battlefield, during civil emergencies and in a multitude of roles. The switch to an all-new helicopter would involve a significant amount of unnecessary training, retooling and expense.

Dimensions

Length, Fuselage 15.26 m

Length, Rotors Turning 19.76 m

Length, Rotors folded 12.60 m

Maximum Height 5.13 m

Fuselage Width 2.36 m

Cabin Length 3.84 m

Cabin Height 1.37 m

Cabin Width 1.88 m

Cabin Volume 11.6 m cu

Wheel Base 8.83 m

Wheel Track 2.70 m

Main Rotor Diameter 16.36 m

Main Rotor Disc Area 210.15 m sq

Tail Rotor Diameter 3.35 m

Empty Weight 5,263 kg

Gross Mission Weight 7,950 kg

Maximum Takeoff Weight 11,113 kg

Automotive

Engine Name 2 x General Electric T700-GE-701C

Engine Type Turboshaft

Engine Power 1,800 shaft hp each

Transmission Power 3,400 shp

Fuel Capacity 1,361 liters internal

Never Exceed Speed 361 kph

Cruising Speed at Sea Level 296 kph

Single Engine Maximum Speed 195 kph

Maximum Range with Internal Fuel 584 km

Maximum Range with External Fuel 1,630 km w 1,741 liters of external fuel

Rate of Climb 472 m/min

Ceiling 5,837 m

Main Gun System

Note 2 x pintle mounts for 7.62-mm M60D or 12.7-mm GECAL 50 or 7.62-mm M134 mini-Gatling guns.

Missile Weapon Systems

Note ESSS can accommodate a variety of pods and weapon systems including fuel tanks, electronics, rockets, guns, missiles and dispensers; Volcano mine-dispensing system can also be mounted to the doors of the aircraft by using the M139 dispensing system.

Fire Control and Avionics

Fire Control Radar INA

Navigation Radar INA

Protection

Add on Armor INA

Stealth Properties No

Heat Signature Reduction INA

NBC Protection Yes

EW Counter Measures/CCM INA

Counter Measures (Chaff/Flares) Yes