Photo By Scott Sturkol | An aircrew with the Wisconsin National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 147th Aviation...... read more read more
Subscribe
Helicopter aircrew members with the Wisconsin National Guard at Madison’s 1st Battalion, 147th Aviation Regiment operated several UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters Jan. 13, 2022, at Fort McCoy, Wis., as part of winter event on post.
Members of the unit regularly complete training operations at Fort McCoy, and the unit also supports numerous training events at the installation each year.
According to the Army fact sheet for the UH-60 Black Hawk, its mission is to provide air assault, general support, aeromedical evacuation, command and control, and special operations support to combat, stability, and support operations.
The UH-60 also is the Army’s utility tactical transport helicopter. The versatile helicopter has enhanced the overall mobility of the Army due to dramatic improvements in troop capacity and cargo lift capability over the years as well.
Now in its fourth decade of service, the Black Hawk was developed as a result of the Army’s requirement in 1972 for a simple, robust, and reliable utility helicopter system to satisfy projected air-mobile requirements around the globe.
Named after Native American war chief and leader of the Sauk tribe in the Midwest, Black Hawk, the first UH-60A was accepted by the Army in 1978, and entered service in 1979 when it was delivered to aviation components of the 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions.
Since that time, the Black Hawk has accumulated more than 9 million total fleet hours and has supported Soldiers in every major contingency operation the Army has executed, including Grenada, Panama, Iraq, Somalia, the Balkans, Afghanistan, and throughout the Middle East.
Over the years, the helicopter has been modified and upgraded to support evolving missions and roles, including mine laying, medical evacuation, and special operations.
Today, the Army continues to integrate emerging technology enhancements into the Black Hawk fleet to increase the performance, reliability, availability, and maintainability of the platform through addition of technologies such as the integration of the improved turbine engine; upgrades to the airframe, including an improved troop seat for additional crash-worthiness; and a lightweight, composite all-moving tail.
“Developing and fielding an aircraft that has earned and maintained an extraordinary reputation of remarkable service supporting Soldiers over a full spectrum of military operations these past 40 years is the direct result of the incredible efforts of all the government and industry teammates who have supported the Black Hawk program throughout the history of the program,” said Col. Billy Jackson, program manager for Program Executive Office for Aviation’s Utility Helicopters Program Office. “I’m exceptionally proud of this team and the herculean effort everyone puts in managing a very complex program with such sustained success.”
The UH-60 Black Hawk makes up the Army’s largest rotary wing fleet with more than 2,100 airframes in the current inventory. As production of the most current H-60M model continues, over the coming years the Army will divest its remaining UH-60A and L aircraft, to be replaced by 760 UH-60Vs.
With multiple versions of the H-60 Black Hawk in service, the helicopter is considered the “workhorse” of Army aviation. Besides being the U.S Army’s primary tactical transport helicopter, approximately 1,200 H-60s operate in 30 partner and allied nations.
For nearly half a century the Black Hawk has served remarkably as the primary medium lift, multi-role helicopter for the U.S. Army. With planned major upgrades on the horizon, the platform will be a key component of the Army aviation fleet through 2054.
“The Utility Helicopters Program Office, in collaboration with our government and industry partners who support the Black Hawk, have worked diligently for 40 years to provide operational commanders and Soldiers the much needed capabilities the Army’s workhorse helicopter provides,” Jackson said. “We will continue to adapt to meet current and future needs to ensure the Black Hawk remains relevant in the operational environment over the next 40.”
At Fort McCoy, the Wisconsin National Guard aircrews with the 1st Battalion, 147th Aviation Regiment have supported prescribed burns, exercises and related training events, operations for the Fort McCoy Medical Simulation Training Center, and more.
Fort McCoy was established in 1909 and its motto is to be the “Total Force Training Center.” Located in the heart of the upper Midwest, Fort McCoy is the only U.S. Army installation in Wisconsin.
The installation has provided support and facilities for the field and classroom training of more than 100,000 military personnel from all services nearly every year since 1984.
Learn more about Fort McCoy online at https://home.army.mil/mccoy, on Facebook by searching “ftmccoy,” and on Twitter by searching “usagmccoy.”
Also try downloading the Digital Garrison app to your smartphone and set “Fort McCoy” or another installation as your preferred base.
| Date Taken: | 01.26.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 01.26.2022 16:00 |
| Story ID: | 413462 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
| Web Views: | 179 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Wisconsin National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 147th Aviation Regiment operates Black Hawks at Fort McCoy during winter mission, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
