Photo By Scott Sturkol | An aircrew with the Wisconsin National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 147th Aviation...... read more read more
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An aircrew with the Wisconsin National Guard at Madison operated a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter Feb. 24 at Fort McCoy, Wis., as part of a training support mission at the post.
Members of the 1st Battalion, 147th Aviation Regiment 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 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 fact sheet states. 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 well into 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, according to the Army Program Executive Office for Aviation.
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, according to the office.
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.
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.
With a busy training schedule planned through the rest of 2022 at Fort McCoy, officials with the Fort McCoy Directorate of Plans and Morale, Welfare and Recreation expect many more Black Hawk crews to support that training.
(Article prepared by the Army Program Executive Office for Aviation and the Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office.)
| Date Taken: | 03.09.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 03.09.2022 15:32 |
| Story ID: | 416114 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
| Web Views: | 306 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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