By Sgt. Gregory T. Summers
4th Combat Aviation Brigade Public Affairs Office, 4th Infantry Division
An Army UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter sits on the tarmac at Butts Army Airfield May 13, 2017. (Photo by Sgt. Gregory T. Summers)
Upon arrival at Butts Army Airfield three UH-60 Black Hawk pilots flew their helicopters the length of the runway about 50 feet above the ground, officially announcing the arrival of new helicopters.
Soldiers and aviators assigned to the 3rd Assault Helicopter Battalion, 4th Aviation Regiment, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, received the first three, of 30, UH-60M Black Hawks May 13, 2017, marking the beginning of the assault helicopter modernization period across the brigade.
“These first three UH-60M model aircraft are significant, and are the first step in a process that will define the road ahead for our battalion and 4th CAB as a whole,” said Lt. Col. Darin Gaub, commander, 3rd AHB, 4th Avn. Reg. “Our entire assault helicopter fleet will become modernized with greater technology and newer airframes. I’ve been flying the UH-60L for 19 years and this is a big change for me — it’s an exciting day to be a part of 4th CAB.”
Upgrades in the cockpit of the UH-60M Black Hawk include four multifunction displays with a moving map for navigation, a four-axis fully coupled flight director and an integrated health monitoring system. (Photo by Sgt. Gregory T. Summers)
The multifaceted UH-60M is the latest in the Black Hawk helicopter airframe line and is more capable, maintainable and powerful, and offers greater situational awareness than previous models. Major upgrades include four multifunction displays that include a moving map for navigation, an integrated health monitoring system, wider chord main rotor blades for improved lift and an enhanced communications suite.
Chief Warrant Officer 4 Ryan Mahany, standardization pilot, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd AHB, who has 40-hours of flight time with the UH-60M, said the new model ups the ante in regards to mission readiness and mission capabilities.
“It’s a completely different digital cockpit and that provides so much more situational awareness and flight capabilities to pilots,” Mahany said. “This is by far the best aircraft I’ve ever flown.”
An Army UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter sits on the tarmac at Butts Army Airfield May 13, 2017. (Photo by Sgt. Gregory T. Summers)
The Black Hawk has proven itself time and time again in combat and peacetime missions over the years, and with the latest upgrades and improvements, it will continue to meet any challenge.
“The ‘Mike’ model has more computer monitors, better radio capabilities and with the frame and construction of the aircraft, it can handle a lot more abuse,” Gaub said.
4th CAB is the final combat aviation brigade to receive the newer models since the Army started fielding them in 2007. Aviators assigned to the brigade began training on the UH-60M in March and will continue throughout October 2017.
Maintainers will soon receive several weeks of academic and hands-on training with the new airframe.
“These new models will impact everyone within our organization and, although they might change some things, they will be changes for the better,” Gaub explained. “We will get to work, adapt and be fully prepared to operate with these models for our National Training Center rotation early next year.”
The UH-60M also features changes for its crewmembers.
Landing at Fort Carson’s Butts Army Airfield, Soldiers and Aviators assigned to 3rd Assault Helicopter Battalion, 4th Aviation Regiment, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, receive the first three UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters at Butts Army Airfield May 13, 2017. The 4th CAB, 4th Inf. Div., is scheduled to receive 30 of the helicopters by October 2017 as part of its assault helicopter modernization. (Photo by Sgt. Gregory T. Summers)
Sgt. Tanner Timmerman, Black hawk crewmember, Company A, 3rd AHB, 4th Avn. Reg., said it is leaps and bounds better to operate out of than the previous model.
“I’m looking forward to regularly flying in these and conducting air assault missions,” Timmerman said. “They’ve upgraded our seats, making them less taxing on our bodies, and also improved our internal communications systems controls, making it easier to communicate clearly and effectively.”
All three of the assault battalion’s companies will transition to UH-60Ms over the next six months. Aviators assigned to 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 4th Avn. Reg., will also move on from the HH-60L Medical Evacuation aircraft to the HH-60M as the rest of the models arrive between now and October 2017.
Simultaneously, the older fleet of UH-60Ls will be transitioned to other units around the country.
“It’s great to get modernized with these new airframes,” Gaub said. “We will have more capabilities available that will directly contribute to improving our flight and mission readiness and our ability to meet the needs of the ground force commander anywhere in the world.