The presence of the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group in the Persian Gulf means additional naval and aerial capabilities, which provides the US with multiple attacking options.
The US$80 million contract will provide the US Army Black Hawk helicopters with faster and more flexible technology on the battlefield, with upgrade work “actively” ongoing.
Sikorsky’s UH-60M Black Hawk and Boeing’s AH-46 Apache will soon form the bedrock of the Australian Army’s rotorcraft capabilities, as the army awaits further delivery of both types.
The helicopters have been remanufactured using common parts from the British Army AH-64 MkI fleet with the 17 not being converted going for a range of uses such as engineering, ground handling and other training.
The extension of its partnership with the Royal Australian Navy comes as the latter is increasing its fleet size, anticipating 12 further aircraft to be delivered by 2036.
If competition turns to conflict, the United States, along with its allies and partners, must be prepared to confront peer and near-peer competitors capable of achieving parity in military capability.
The UH-60 helicopter ground run test of the T901 engine is the first in a set of tests for boosting the helicopter’s range and lift capacity. The first flight of the improved engine Black Hawk is anticipated for later in 2025.
A total of 19 Mk3 and six Mk3a Commando Merlin helicopters have now been upgraded to the Mk4/4a standard, with the work overseen by the procurement arm of the Ministry of Defence (MoD), Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S), Leonardo and the...
According to Leonardo, the rotorcraft will conduct its first flight by mid-2025, following on from its £60 million (US$ 75 million) contract award in July 2022.