Vertical Flight

Army service members will train the first Afghan Air Force pilots to fly their new Black Hawk helicopters, but the training will eventually be supported by contractors as well, according to the head of Army security assistance.

Sierra Nevada Corp. is offering the UH-60L Force Hawk, a modernized Black Hawk variant, in the Air Force's competition to replace its aging Bell UH-1N helicopters.

Lockheed Martin anticipates later this month the Navy will award it a contract to begin producing engineering development models of electronic warfare pods for the service's fleet of MH-60 Seahawk helicopters, according to a company executive.

Army aviation will play a vital role in enabling maneuver forces in the future operating environment, according to service leaders.

The Army has to find the appropriate balance between commonality and additional capability in its aviation fleet, according to service officials.

The Army is executing a multiyear procurement contract for UH-60M utility helicopters with Sikorsky that obligates the government to buy 51 fewer helicopters, or 20 percent less, between fiscal years 2017 and 2021 than the service originally proposed to Congress when seeking authorization for a five-year deal, offsetting the cuts in part with foreign military sales.

The Trump administration is echoing concerns raised by the Obama administration about the ability of the aerospace sector to sustain the unique design and manufacturing skills needed to ensure future U.S. military combat aircraft can be both designed and produced, according to a report by the Pentagon office charged with monitoring the defense industrial base.

The Army on July 27 awarded an engineering and manufacturing development contract to Boeing for upgrades to the CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopter.

The Army, which last month awarded a multiyear procurement contract for the Black Hawk helicopter, is laying the groundwork for a potential expansion of that award.