HARTFORD, Conn. — The Australian government announced that they will acquire 40 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters for use in the Australian Army.
This comes after the U.S. Army rejected a bid by Lockheed-Martin’s Sikorsky to build the long-range assault aircraft after 40 years.
The U.S. Army chose Textron-owned Bell’s aircraft over the DEFIANT X, developed by Boeing and Sikorsky. The contract is worth a reported $1.3 billion.
The Australian government said in a release that the Black Hawk will operate from Oakey, Queensland, and Holsworthy, New South Wales, supported by a highly-skilled maintenance workforce and Australian industry contractors.
Australian industry will be involved in logistic support, warehousing services, training development, and engineering services, as well as in the aircraft’s global supply chain. This will support the capability and also maximize Australian industry participation, laying a foundation for future helicopter industry growth across the service life of the helicopter, according to the Australian Government.
"The Black Hawk capability will be a crucial element for us to protect Australia’s sovereignty, and deliver foreign policy objectives, including providing humanitarian assistance and disaster relief," said Head Land Capability Major General Jeremy King in a statement.
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