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."

FMI: www.army.mil