AIRCRAFT PROGRAM

Medium multirole helicopter with twin turboshaft engines. Initially designed for military missions, primarily troop transport but now has multiple configurations for maritime, police, aerial firefighting and border patrol services, search and rescue, VIP/executive transport and medevac.

Light alloy airframe with two rotors - main and tail. Wide chord, four blade, main rotor made from composites with anhedral tips. Tail rotor cross beams also made from composites. Both rotors foldable for transport of the helicopter. Cockpit doors, canopy, fairings and engine cowlings made from glass fibre and kevlar with floors made from glass fibre/Nomex. Also features a non-retractable tail wheel.

Generally four crew - pilot and co-pilot on flight deck in crashworthy seats, plus two gunners. 11 foldable seats in cabin. Fly-by-wire glass cockpit with digital avionics and four multi-function displays.

Type variants

Variant	Launch/First flight	Production end
Sikorsky UH-60A Black Hawk	1972 / 1974		Baseline variant.
Sikorsky S-70A Black Hawk	1972 / 1974		Sikorsky's designation for Black Hawk, also often used in export variants' designantion, includes FireHawk aerial firefighting variant.
Sikorsky S-70C	1985 / 1985		Civilian variant.
Mitsubishi UH-60J	1988 / 1989		Japanese variants built under license, includes UH-60JA variant for JGSDF.
Sikorsky UH-60M	2001 / 2003		Improved Black Hawk variant, formerly known as UH-60L.
Sikorsky S-70i International Black Hawk	2006 / 2010		Production: 10 (2023). International military variant, final assembly by PZL Mielec.
Sikorsky HH-60W Combat Rescue Helicopter	2014 / 2019		To replace HH-60G Pave Hawk, also known as HH-60W Whiskey, derived from UH-60M.
TAI T-70	2014 / 2017		Variants for Turkish armed forces, final assembly in Turkey.
Sikorsky Innovations S-70UAS U-Hawk	2025 /		Unmanned conversion of UH-60L Black Hawk, cockpit & seating replaced with forward loading capability and 25% more cargo space. In development, with first flight expected 2026.

Recent news

• 20/11/2025:  Press Release:  BETA Technologies builds out autonomous capabilities
• 13/10/2025:  Press Release:  Sikorsky converts Black Hawk into U-Hawk, a battle-ready autonomous UAS
• 09/10/2025:  NEWS:  Sikorsky expands Nomad family of hybrid-electric VTOLs
• 07/10/2025:  Press Release:  PZL Mielec celebrates production of the 700th Black Hawk helicopter cabin
• 03/09/2025:  Press Release:  Sikorsky and CAL FIRE join forces to enhance autonomous aerial firefighting technologies

View full news archive for the Sikorsky S-70A Black Hawk.

See recent updates (latest 26/11/2025)

Operations data

For detailed information about current charter operators, maintenance and training providers, and completions services for this aircraft, please consult our sister publication Business Air News: Sikorsky S-70