Black Hawk and Seahawk: How do they stack up to Taipan?

The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk is a tried-and-tested workhorse utility helicopter for militaries around the globe. First introduced into the US Army in 1979, the UH-60 has been a staple frontline utility helicopter for the US military for more than 40 years. Names after Native American warrior Black Hawk, the helicopter was developed in the 1970s out of a need for a robust, durable, and reliable utility helicopter system, and has been constantly services, developed, and improved to suit the changing needs of the world’s most cash-flush Defence force ever since. In the last 43 years, Black Hawk has accumulated over 9 million flight hours around the world, and been utilised by military powers on basically every continent, including China, Brazil, Israel, Poland and more.

Australia also has a long history with Black Hawk. In 1986, the Australian Government, under Bob Hawke’s leadership, ordered 12 A-70A-9 Black Hawks, and a further 25 platforms in 1987.The first Black Hawk was delivered to the Royal Australian Air Force in 1987. The RAAF later transferred its Black Hawk fleet to Army. In the 34 years of initial service, Australia’s Black Hawks performed operational duties in Cambodia, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, East Timor and Pakistan. Australia ultimately favoured the MRH-90 Taipan over Black Hawk in 2004 due to the lack of armour and self-defence systems applicable to the Black Hawk platform. However, due to the MRH-90’s operational difficulties, the retirement of Army’s remaining Black Hawk fleet was delayed from 2018 until 2021. On 10 December, 2021, the same day that Defence announced the retirement of its Taipan fleet, the last S-70A-9 Black Hawks were retired from service.

Aside from 40 years of service worldwide – and 34 in Australia -, Black Hawk’s well-established, decades-old production lines and supply chains mean the Black Hawk is about as reliable as you can get from a utility multi-role helicopter, making it an entirely appropriate and fitting replacement for Defence’s embattled Taipans. Upon announcing the end of the MH-90 Taipan program, then-Minister of Defence Peter Dutton said, “It is critically important there is a safe, reliable, and capable utility helicopter available for our service men and women into the future.”

So, how exactly does Black Hawk, and its dedicated Naval variant Seahawk, stack up to the MRH-90?

The UH-60 Black Hawk is a four-blade, twin-engine, medium-lift military utility helicopter. It can travel at speeds of up to 150 knots (278km per hour), for a range of up to 320 nautical miles (593km). It’s armed with two 7.62mm machine guns, and has a maximum internal payload of 2640lbs (1197kg), or equivalent to 11 combat-equipped troops, along with four air crew, including two pilots and two crew chiefs.

The first Black Hawk variant was brought into service with the US Army in 1979. However, the latest variant of Black Hawk – the UH-60M – features new wide-cord composite rotor blades, providing an additional 500lbs (227kg) of additional lift. The UH-60M variant also boasts a strengthened fuselage, advanced infrared suppression, as well as an optional fly-by-wire avionics system.

Meanwhile, the SH-60 Seahawk is a dedicated Naval variant of the Black Hawk helicopter. Key modifications of the Seahawk fleet including foldable main rotors and hinged tails, to aid storage aboard naval aircraft carriers. The Seahawk is also specially modified for anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, as well as emergency services capabilities, and is capable of externally holding anti-ship or air-to-surface missiles, along with Mk.46 or Mk.50 torpedoes.

Comparatively, the MRH-90 is a larger and more capable rotor aircraft. It’s a medium-lift, twin-engine, multi-role utility helicopter constructed will all-composite materials and fly-by-wire avionics. With a maximum take off weight of 23,369lbs (10,600kg), it carry up to 20 troops along with a pilot, co-pilot and two loadmasters. It has a modern all-glass cockpit with top-of-the line avionics. It has a max speed of 162 knots (300km per hour) and a max flight range of up to 432 nautical miles (800km). ​​

Image credit: Defence | Sam Price, Leo Baumgartner, Jarrod McAneney