WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army has awarded Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, a $234.5 million fixed-price-incentive contract modification to build 16 new UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters. The modification raises the total cumulative value of contract W58RGZ-26-C-0008 to $356.3 million.
The full amount was obligated from fiscal 2026 aircraft procurement funds when the award was made. The contract remains undefinitized, allowing Sikorsky to begin production while the Army and the company negotiate the final contract price.
Work will be conducted at Sikorsky’s facility in Stratford, Connecticut, with completion estimated for June 30, 2028. The agreement is being managed by Army Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama.
Contract Expands Earlier Procurement
The contract began in April 2026 with a $65 million advance procurement award covering materials and long-lead items for 10 UH-60Ms. The arrangement was intended to reduce schedule risks before full-rate production.
The latest modification now funds the production of 16 complete helicopters. The initial 16 aircraft are scheduled for delivery to the Army in fiscal 2028, as the current multiyear production agreement awarded in 2022 concludes by the end of 2027.
The broader agreement could eventually support up to 150 aircraft over three to four years, including helicopters for the Army, National Guard and foreign military sales customers, once the contract is fully definitized.
UH-60M Black Hawk
The UH-60M is the current production version of the Black Hawk. It features a digital cockpit, wide-chord rotor blades and T700-GE-701D engines, providing upgrades over earlier UH-60A and UH-60L models.
Sikorsky has manufactured Black Hawks for the U.S. Army since 1978. The Army has procured UH-60M and HH-60M medical evacuation helicopters through several multiyear contracts, including an $8.5 billion five-year agreement signed in 2012 that also covered Navy Seahawks and aircraft for allied countries through the Foreign Military Sales program.
The Army is separately studying a midlife modernization program intended to extend the UH-60M fleet’s service life beyond 2050. The first UH-60Ms were delivered in 2006, and the Army operates more than 2,000 UH-60Ms.
Separate Black Hawk Sale to Argentina
Separately, the U.S. State Department approved a $140 million Foreign Military Sale to Argentina on September 10, 2026, covering four UH-60L Black Hawks and associated equipment.
The package includes T700-GE-701D engines, communications and navigation systems, Garmin GTN-750 GPS systems, rescue hoists, fast-rope equipment, internal auxiliary fuel tanks and Bambi buckets for aerial firefighting.
The proposed sale would support Argentina’s border security, counter-transnational crime and disaster-response capabilities. Argentina is seeking to replace its aging Bell UH-1H and Huey II fleet and has discussed potentially expanding the acquisition from four helicopters to as many as 10.
As of the State Department’s notification, the Argentine procurement had no finalized delivery schedule or binding procurement agreement.
The latest U.S. Army contract continues UH-60M production while the service also examines modernization options for its existing Black Hawk fleet.
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