Lockheed Martin segment Sikorsky Aircraft has signed a $65-million contract for advanced procurement in support of 10 new UH-60M Black Hawks for the US Army.
The process covers the provision of materials and related services to reduce schedule risks and enable faster rollout before a full-production phase begins.
The company will begin production at its facility in Stratford, Connecticut, according to a US Department of Defense notice.
Sikorsky is scheduled to complete the order by December 2026.
Progress will be coordinated with the Army Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, which holds the framework’s oversight.
Operational Past 2050
The deal comes after the US Army launched market research into the possibility of extending its UH-60M fleet’s service life beyond 2050.
The proposed initiative would center on midlife modernization, considering that the platforms have been operational since the early 2000s.
Washington said that it plans to cover 12 to 24 helicopters per year on top of an unspecified number of Black Hawks in the HH-60M medical evacuation variants.
The process is expected to incorporate full airframe disassembly, enabling thorough evaluations for critical repairs or replacements.
Since its inauguration, the Black Hawk program has supplied over 2,000 aircraft to the US Army’s inventory.
