The FAA has awarded Sikorsky type certification in the restricted category for the S-70M, enabling the Lockheed Martin company to produce the non-military version of the UH-60M for special-purpose civil operations such as external cargo, agriculture operations, and forest and wildlife conservation, the airframer announced Tuesday at Heli-Expo 2019.
Sikorsky v-p of strategy and business development Nathalie Previte said the certification “will be tremendously attractive to local government agencies, municipalities, and commercial transport companies across the U.S., and even to some international operators, that want to acquire new Black Hawk helicopters direct from Sikorsky to accomplish specific tasks.”
The Connecticut-based manufacturer (Booth B2507) said it is increasingly receiving orders and inquiries from municipalities in California and other western states for the S-70 Firehawk, a modified Black Hawk with a 1,000-gallon external water tank. The U.S. Army has purchased more than 1,000 UH-60Ms since 2005.