Helicopters In Iraq, Afghanistan Since 2003
Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopters flown by the U.S. Army in the Iraq
and Afghanistan theaters of war have accumulated more than 900,000
flight hours without a single material failure with the aircraft
and are expected to break the 1 million fleet flight hour mark this
fall, Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. reported today from the Paris Air
Show.
The U.S. Army currently operates more than 300 Black Hawk
helicopters combined in these two Overseas Contingency Operations.
Black Hawk helicopters have flown these missions since February
2003 and are maintaining an 84 percent mission capable readiness
rate while operating in the extreme heat, wind, and sand
conditions.
"This is the ultimate testament to the durability, reliability
and effectiveness of the Black Hawk helicopter - to support and
protect our soldiers in such withering and hostile environments,
and to keep performing mission after mission and without
any material failures," said Scott Starrett, President of
Sikorsky Military Systems.
The U.S. Army's total Black Hawk helicopter fleet exceeds 1,740
aircraft and has amassed nearly 6 million flight hours.
Sikorsky also used the Paris backdrop to announce the signing of
a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with L-3/Link Simulation &
Training to explore teaming on simulation and training services for
the U.S. Army on the UH-60M helicopter and for international
customers on international variants of the UH-60M helicopter.
Sikorsky Aerospace Services is the aftermarket business of Sikorsky
Aircraft Corp., a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp.
L-3/Link Simulation & Training currently provides UH-60A and
UH-60L aircraft simulators at the highest level of fidelity
recognized in the industry. This collaboration will deliver the
same standard for the latest, most capable version of the BLACK
HAWK helicopter, the UH-60M helicopter and its international
variants. A full spectrum of simulation and training services are
envisioned, from procedural trainers and transportable simulators
to full-motion Level D compliant devices.
"Teaming with L-3/Link Simulation & Training will enable
Sikorsky Aerospace Services to deliver world-class training
technology to the global BLACK HAWK helicopter community," said
David Adler, President of Sikorsky Aerospace Services. "These
simulators offer the closest experience you can get to the real
thing, improving training cost, quality, and safety by reducing
in-aircraft training time. We're excited about the opportunity to
offer this technology to all of our UH-60M customers as well as
those who may fly the international helicopter variants."