US Army completes UH-60V IOT&E testing

The US Army’s Utility Helicopters Project Office recently completed Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E) of the Sikorsky UH-60V Black Hawk utility helicopter that successfully demonstrated and assessed the aircraft’s ability to meet its design requirements.

A US-operated UH-60V Black Hawk awaits its crew before conducting a sortie from the Eastern Army National Guard Aviation Training Site (EAATS) - a part of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard (ARNG) on October 6 2021. — A US-operated UH-60V Black Hawk awaits its crew before conducting a sortie from the Eastern Army National Guard Aviation Training Site (EAATS) - a part of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard (ARNG) on October 6, 2021. US Army/Sgt 1st Class Matthew Keeler

Supported by the Wisconsin Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 106th Aviation Regiment (1-106th AVN), the evaluations were conducted at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, over a one-month period that began on July 5 and concluded on August 5. During the IOT&E process, five UH-60Vs flew over 200 flight hours under simulated battlefield conditions, demonstrating the new variant’s capabilities.

The successful completion of IOT&E is a required milestone for the UH-60V programme to enter full-rate production. The UH-60V Black Hawk is an upgraded and recapitalised variant of the legacy UH-60L and features a newly developed digital glass cockpit and integrated avionics suite. With units in Illinois and Georgia, the 1-106th AVN was the first unit to be equipped with the UH-60V and the assault helicopter battalion will have 30 examples in total when deliveries are completed.