The US Navy plans to buy as many as 250 navalised Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk utility helicopters, designated CH-60S, for vertical replenishment, search and rescue and other missions at a total cost of $3.2 billion.
The USN has decided to reduce the diverse fleet of naval rotorcraft to the CH-60S and the Sikorsky Aircraft SH-60R Seahawk, which will consist of remanufactured SH-60Bs, SH-60Fs and HH-60Hs. The SH-60R conversions will cost an estimated $4.4 billion.
The CH-60S will replace Bell Helicopter HH-INs, Sikorsky Aircraft UH-3H/VH-3As, and Boeing CH-46Ds, UH-46Ds and HH-46Ds. A YCH-60 prototype converted from a US Army-provided UH-60L Black Hawk is undergoing flight test.
Source: Flight International
