UH-60V joins Pennsylvania National Guard
The first UH-60V Black Hawk helicopter upgraded with a new integrated avionics suite has entered service with the Pennsylvania National Guard at Fort Indiantown Gap.
The helicopter features OpenLift modular, open-architecture avionics from Northrop Grumman, which stated on 11 August that the UH-60V ‘enhances aircrew situational understanding and mission safety while reducing pilot workload’.
The avionics suite includes a pilot-machine interface resembling that on the UH-60M, enabling common training and operational employment. The system has been approved for export, and it is certified by the US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation Missile Center for operation under Visual Flight Rules.
Northrop Grumman stated that OpenLift is configurable for installation on numerous aircraft types, and James Conroy, VP of navigation, targeting and survivability at Northrop Grumman, claimed: ‘The OpenLift modular, open systems architecture gives the Army a highly survivable UH-60 that can be upgraded over time to meet changing mission requirements, and it bridges the enduring and Future Vertical Lift fleets.’
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
UH-60 Black Hawk L and V Models
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Air Warfare
-
Japan selects T-6 Texan II for pilot training
The T-6 Texan II aircraft will replace the Fuji/Subaru T-7 aircraft in the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF).
-
Embraer “confident” as C-390 and A-29 production ramps up in 2025
Embraer chief commercial officer Frederico Lemos said that it was aiming to produce more than 10 of its C-390 multi-mission aircraft a year by 2030, with some A-29 aircraft already allocated and ready for delivery.
-
Boeing CEO notes “confidence” in defence arm despite 20% Q4 revenue loss
Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg indicated ongoing improvements were being made in its defence programmes going forwards, despite being affected in Q4 by cost pressures, higher manufacturing costs and the impact of the IAM strike.
-
Switzerland’s Hermes 900 procurement faces further delays and headwinds
The Swiss Federal Audit Office has said the drones won’t meet planned military requirements until 2029, after extensive delays pushed timeline back to the end of 2026.