Military

The Most Iconic Black Hawk Helicopters Ever Built

Chris Lange

Published: May 9, 2024 10:50 am

The UH-60 Black Hawk is by far one of the most popular and prolific military helicopters in the world. It plays a variety of roles like search and rescue, reconnaissance, transport and close-air support. Sikorsky Aircraft originally introduced these helicopters in 1979, and the Black Hawk continues to serve as a staple of the U.S. Army and many other militaries around the world. (This country has the most attack helicopters.)

Black Hawk helicopters are typically outfitted with a series of machine guns and are capable of carrying Hellfire anti-tank guided missiles as well. However, these helicopters are fairly versatile and can be outfitted a number of ways depending on the mission. Special forces outfits also have different armaments for their operational needs.

To identify the different variants of Black Hawk helicopters, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed a catalog of military helicopters from Military Factory, an online database of arms, vehicles, and aircraft used by militaries worldwide. We ordered these helicopters chronologically and included supplemental information from Military Factory regarding the type of helicopter, year introduced, manufacturer, top speed, and armament.

One variant that sees a lot of use by the U.S. Navy is the SH-60 Seahawk. It is a multi-mission maritime helicopter. This helicopter is primarily used for anti-submarine warfare and search and rescue missions. Its roles also extend to anti-surface warfare, surveillance, and logistics. The Seahawk is equipped with torpedoes, depth charges, and anti-ship missiles to handle a variety of threats.

The Seahawk like many other helicopters on this list is an adaptation of the U.S. Army’s UH-60 Black Hawk and has been exported to multiple countries, proving to be an effective component in military operations worldwide. (These were the 25 helicopters of the Vietnam War.)

Here is a look at the different variants of Black Hawk helicopters:

Why Are We Covering This?

Source: 7armyjmtc / Flickr

The Black Hawk helicopter is a critical asset in modern military operations, developed by Sikorsky Aircraft. Since its introduction in the 1970s, it has become renowned for its versatility and reliability across diverse environments. The helicopter’s design and capacity to carry a significant payload make it a backbone of tactical support, enhancing the operational effectiveness of military forces globally.

Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk

'Wildcard' battalion trains wi... (CC BY 2.0) by USAG- Humphreys

• Type: Medium-lift, multi-mission helicopter
• Year introduced: 1979
• Manufacturer(s): Turkish Aerospace Industries / PZL / Sikorsky
• Top speed: 183 mph
• Armament: 7.62mm general purpose machine guns, Hellfire anti-tank missiles, GAU-19 12.7mm gatling guns, M240 machine guns, mine dispersal systems, FFAR rocket pods

Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

• Type: Multi-mission naval helicopter
• Year introduced: 1984
• Manufacturer(s): Mitsubishi Heavy Industries / Sikorsky
• Top speed: 205 mph
• Armament: M240 general purpose machine guns, GAU-17/A miniguns, 7.62mm machine guns, Hellfire anti-tank missiles, Block III missiles, Mark 46 torpedoes, Mark 54 torpedoes, Penguin anti-ship missiles, 30mm Mk 44 RAMICS mine-clearing cannon

Sikorsky VH-60 White Hawk

VH-60N Whitehawk presidential ... (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Tim Evanson

• Type: Presidential / VIP transport helicopter
• Year introduced: 1988
• Manufacturer(s): United Technologies / Sikorsky
• Top speed: 183 mph
• Armament: N/A

Sikorsky HH-60 / MH-60T Jayhawk

Source: coast_guard / Flickr

• Type: Medium-range search and rescue / interdiction helicopter
• Year introduced: 1990
• Manufacturer(s): Sikorsky
• Top speed: 207 mph
• Armament: 7.62mm M240B general purpose machine guns

Sikorsky MH-60L DAP (Direct-Action Penetrator)

Source: 39955793@N07 / Flickr

• Type: Special Forces gunship helicopter
• Year introduced: 1990
• Manufacturer(s): Sikorsky
• Top speed: 103 mph
• Armament: 30mm M230 chain gun automatic cannons, Hydra rocket pods, GAU-19 gun pods, M134 gun pods, Hellfire anti-tank missiles, Stinger air-to-air missiles

Sikorsky MH-60L / UH-60L (Razors Edge / Super 68)

Source: dvids / Flickr

• Type: Special Forces combat helicopter
• Year introduced: 1990
• Manufacturer(s): Sikorsky
• Top speed: 103 mph
• Armament: 30mm automatic cannon, FFAR rocket pods, M134 miniguns, Hellfire anti-tank missiles, Stinger air-to-air missiles

Sikorsky HH-60 (Pave Hawk)

Source: Stocktrek Images / Stocktrek Images via Getty Images

• Type: Combat search and rescue
• Year introduced: 1991
• Manufacturer(s): United Technologies / Sikorsky
• Top speed: 183 mph
• Armament: 7.62mm machine guns, M134 miniguns, 12.7mm GAU-18 miniguns

Sikorsky MH-60 (Knighthawk)

Source: thenationalguard / Flickr

• Type: Multi-mission naval helicopter
• Year introduced: 2002
• Manufacturer(s): Sikorsky
• Top speed: 207 mph
• Armament: 7.62mm M240 machine guns, GAU-17/A miniguns, Hellfire anti-tank missiles, Penguin anti-ship missiles, automatic cannon pods, machine gun pods

Piasecki X-49 Speedhawk

Source: dvids / Flickr

• Type: Compound helicopter
• Year introduced: 2007
• Manufacturer(s): Piasecki Aircraft Corporation / Sikorsky
• Top speed: 168 mph
• Armament: N/A

Sikorsky S-70 (Firehawk)

Source: marine_corps / Flickr

• Type: Special-mission helicopter
• Year introduced: 2008
• Manufacturer(s): United Rotorcraft / Sikorsky
• Top speed: 224 mph
• Armament: N/A

Sikorsky (Lockheed) Armed Black Hawk

USS ARLEIGH BURKE (DDG 51)_140... (CC BY 2.0) by U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. Fifth Fleet

• Type: Helicopter upgrade package
• Year introduced: 2017
• Manufacturer(s): Lockheed Martin / Sikorsky
• Top speed: 186 mph
• Armament: 12.7mm machine guns, 7.62mm machine guns, miniguns, Hydra rockets, Hellfire anti-tank guided missiles

Sikorsky HH-60W Jolly Green II (Whiskey)

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

• Type: Dedicated combat rescue helicopter
• Year introduced: 2022
• Manufacturer(s): Sikorsky
• Top speed: 224 mph
• Armament: 12.7mm M2HB heavy machine guns