A25 Sikorsky S-70A Blackhawk
The search for an Iroquois replacement, the New Utility Helicopter (NUH) project, commenced in the early 1980's as Air Staff Target 404, and a Request for Tender was issued on 19 April 1984. Competitors responding to this tender were the Aerospatiale AS.332B Super Puma, Westland's W30-400, the Bell JVX tilt-rotor, the Sikorsky S-70A (or UH-60) Black Hawk, and a development of the Augusta Mongoose. The Sikorsky S70-B Seahawk had already been selected by the Royal Australian Navy for anti-submarine and surface-targeting roles, so Sikorsky was able to push the Black Hawk's similarity.
In November 1985, the NUH was allocated the A25 identification prefix. The Black Hawk, having first flown on 17 October 1974, had already been selected by the US Army as an Iroquois replacement in 1976. This, together with its Seahawk commonality and superior hot-and-high performance, led to the Black Hawk selection. An initial order was placed for 14 aircraft on 29 May 1986.
During 1986, after much vigorous debate, the decision was made to pass control of the battlefield helicopters from the RAAF to the Army. The RAAF was to see the Black Hawk into service and the 14 aircraft would then transfer to the Army.
The first Australian Black Hawk, designated S-70A-9 and serialled A25-101, flew at Sikorsky's Statford, Connecticut, plant on 11 September 1987. After being handed over to the RAAF on 31 December, it was flown to RAAF Amberley by C-130 and delivered to No 9 Squadron on 27 February 1988. By this stage, some 900 Black Hawks had been delivered to the US Army.
Meanwhile, licensed assembly in Australia had started in April 1987 with Hawker–de Havilland (HdH) at Bankstown as prime contractor. The remaining 13 aircraft of this Batch One order to be assembled at HdH were serialled A25-102 to A25-114. The first of these, A25-102, was handed over at Bankstown on 12 May 1988 and was received at No 9 Squadron the following day. From August to October 1988, A25-102 was tested at the US Naval Air Test Centre at Patuxent River, USA, for electro-magnetic interference. Over this period, A25-101 was attached to the Aircraft Research and Development Unit (ARDU) for gunnery trials.
Around Christmas 1988, No 9 Squadron relocated to RAAF Townsville and, on 15 February 1989, was disbanded. Production delays at HdH had led to A25-114 being delivered twelve months late, so only the eight RAAF Black Hawks delivered by this date were handed over to A Squadron of the Army's 5th Aviation Regiment. Subsequently, all Black Hawks from the HdH production line were delivered to the Army.
In May 1987, an additional 25 Black Hawks were ordered. These Batch Two aircraft, with minor changes from the first 14, were serialled A25-201 to A25-225. Also, external stores support systems equipment was obtained for most of the Black Hawks. These are stub wings that enable the carriage of additional fuel tanks, delivering an important improvement to range for operations in Australia's vast north.
The last aircraft off the HdH production line (A25-225) was completed five months ahead of schedule and delivered to the Army on 30 January 1991. In Australian Army service the 39 Black Hawks are flown operationally by the two squadrons of the 5th Aviation Regiment at Townsville and in a training role by the School of Army Aviation at Oakey. In addition, one aircraft is operated for development flying at ARDU.
TECHNICAL DATA: Sikorsky S-70A Black Hawk
DESCRIPTION:
Four-crew multi-role battlefield transport helicopter capable of carrying 10 troops.
POWER PLANT:
Two 1723 shp General Electric T700-GE-701A-1 turboshafts.
DIMENSIONS:
Diameter of main rotor 16.39 m (53 ft 8 in); length 15.26 m (50 ft 1 in); height 5.13 m (16 ft 10 in).
WEIGHTS:
Empty 5118 kg (11 284 lb); loaded 9979 kg (22 000 lb).
ARMAMENT:
Two door-mounted 7.62mm machine guns.
PERFORMANCE:
Max speed 296 km/h (160 kt); cruising speed 268 km/h (145 kt); range internal fuel 600 km (324 nm); rate of climb 137 m (450 ft)/min; service ceiling 19,000 ft (5790m).
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