The US Army has awarded Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin subsidiary, a $43-million contract to begin modernizing its fleet of Black Hawk medium-lift helicopters. The initiative will focus on strengthening the airframe and main fuel system while introducing a digital backbone to support future integration with uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) and advanced launched effects by 2026.
The upgraded Black Hawk is expected to carry heavier payloads over longer distances and eventually incorporate autonomy and artificial intelligence-based flight control systems. This marks the latest step in Sikorsky’s continuing efforts to keep the decades-old platform relevant in modern combat scenarios.
Prior to this award, Sikorsky had already been producing Upturned Exhaust System II kits, which enhance infrared suppression, reduce weight, and improve both reliability and maintainability. These incremental improvements set the stage for the broader modernization push now underway.
The company has also been working on advanced autonomy features. In October 2024, Sikorsky secured a $6-million contract to integrate its MATRIX autonomy system onto a fly-by-wire UH-60M Black Hawk by 2025, with the goal of reducing pilot workload and boosting safety in contested environments. Notably, in 2023, the Black Hawk successfully flight-tested the Altius 700 air-launched drone, proving its compatibility with future launched effects.
