Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk

Updated: October 2026 – A deep, steady chop over the forest, then a flat, dark-green silhouette slides over the treetops: if you live in Franconia, the Upper Palatinate or around Wiesbaden, you have probably seen the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk more often than you realize. The multi-role helicopter has been the US Army’s workhorse for over four decades and has long since spread across Europe. Here you learn how to identify it reliably, which versions exist, where the US Army uses it in Europe and which European armed forces fly it.

What is the UH-60 Black Hawk?

The Black Hawk is a twin-engine, medium-class multi-role helicopter. It transports soldiers and materiel, evacuates the wounded, inserts special forces, carries external loads on the hook and fights wildfires with a water bucket. In its basic configuration it brings a four-person crew and up to eleven fully equipped soldiers.

It emerged from a US Army competition in the early 1970s: the UTTAS program (Utility Tactical Transport Aircraft System) sought a successor to the legendary Bell UH-1 “Huey”, which had reached its limits in the Vietnam War. Required were more power, two engines, more protection for the crew and the ability to deploy the helicopter in transport aircraft.

Sikorsky entered the YUH-60A, which first flew on October 17, 1974. In the fly-off it competed against Boeing Vertol’s YUH-61A, and in December 1976 the decision went in Sikorsky’s favor. The first production aircraft were delivered from October 1978, and in 1979 the type entered troop service with the 101st Airborne Division. Like many US Army helicopters, it is named after a Native American figure, in this case the leader Black Hawk.

The basic design has grown into a huge family: the US Navy’s SH-60 Seahawk, the Coast Guard’s HH-60 Jayhawk, rescue and special forces versions as well as civil and export models under the factory designation S-70. By early 2023, about 5,000 helicopters of the H-60 family had been built. Sikorsky itself has belonged to Lockheed Martin since November 2015, which took over the manufacturer from United Technologies for 9 billion US dollars.

Technology in brief

The current UH-60M is powered by two General Electric T700-GE-701D engines. The turboshafts sit side by side on top of the fuselage, directly behind the rotor head. The four-blade main rotor has a diameter of about 16.4 meters. With rotors turning, the UH-60M measures just under 19.8 meters, the fuselage alone a good 15.3 meters. The maximum takeoff weight is just under 10 tonnes, the top speed about 294 km/h.

Two design details make the Black Hawk unmistakable. First, the canted tail rotor: its axis is tilted by about 20 degrees, so that besides balancing torque it provides a small amount of lift at the tail. Second, the adjustable horizontal stabilizer (stabilator), which adapts automatically to the flight condition. It was introduced because the prototype tended to pitch its nose up on landing approaches.

The low profile is also typical of the design. The Army wanted to be able to deploy the Black Hawk in a Lockheed C-130 Hercules; that is why it is built long and low and fits into the cargo hold after partial disassembly. Under the fuselage it carries a cargo hook, and on the side a rescue hoist if needed. With the stub wings of the External Stores Support System (ESSS) it can carry additional tanks or armament.

The features that are enough to identify it

From a long distance the Black Hawk can be mistaken for other medium-size helicopters. With three looks you are on the safe side.

For the operator, the paint scheme helps. US Army aircraft usually wear a matte dark green with small black titles and a serial number on the tail boom; how the American serials are structured is explained in the article US military serials. Medevac versions such as the HH-60M can be recognized by red crosses, the rescue hoist and the thermal imaging sensor on the nose.

Versions at a glance

Externally the Black Hawk has changed little over the decades. The most important steps concerned engines, gearbox, rotor blades and cockpit.

Version	Period	What sets it apart
UH-60A	from 1978	Original version with T700-GE-700
UH-60L	from the late 1980s	more powerful T700-GE-701C, strengthened gearbox, more payload
UH-60M	series production from 2006	glass cockpit, T700-GE-701D, broader rotor blades
UH-60V	Modernization	UH-60L with a digital cockpit to M standard
HH-60M	Medevac version	rescue hoist, thermal imaging, medical equipment
MH-60	Special forces	e.g. aerial refueling probe, extended sensors
S-70i	Export	internationally marketed version, final assembly in Mielec

In Sweden the UH-60M is called the Hkp 16, in Austria the export variant S-70A-42 flies, and in Turkey a license version is built under the designation T-70.

Black Hawk or something else?

Especially in backlight or behind trees, it can get tricky. The finder helps you narrow it down.

The comparison pages for the Airbus NH90, Airbus H225 and Mil Mi-8/Mi-17 show you the differences in detail. The guide Identifying helicopter types offers an all-round look at rotary-wing aircraft. The civil relative from the same house is the Sikorsky S-92, which, however, has a much taller cabin and retractable landing gear.

The US Army in Europe

For spotters in Germany, the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade is the most important Black Hawk operator. The US Army aviation brigade has its headquarters at Katterbach Army Airfield near Ansbach and spreads its units across several sites (as of 2025):

• Wiesbaden Army Airfield (Hesse): UH-60V as multi-role helicopter, plus liaison aircraft
• Grafenwöhr Army Airfield (Upper Palatinate): HH-60M of the “Dust Off” medevac company
• Katterbach (Middle Franconia): headquarters, plus AH-64E Apache and CH-47F Chinook

You therefore meet Black Hawks mainly in Hesse, Franconia and the Upper Palatinate – over training areas, on liaison flights between the sites and on relocations. During large exercises in eastern Europe, aircraft from the USA are also transferred through Germany. How to track such flights online is explained in the guide Tracking military aircraft online.

The US Army’s Black Hawks also help in civil emergencies. After the Galtür avalanche disaster in February 1999, ten American UH-60s, together with helicopters from Austria, Germany, France and Switzerland, evacuated trapped vacationers from the Paznaun valley.

European users

In the past 15 years the Black Hawk has grown enormously in Europe. Many countries use it to replace Soviet Mi-8/Mi-17s or to supplement delayed NH90 fleets. The following details are a snapshot.

Austria: The Bundesheer (Austrian Armed Forces) has flown nine S-70A-42 since 2002, stationed at Brumowski air base in Langenlebarn near Tulln. They are indispensable for disaster relief and mountain rescue in the Alps. Used UH-60Ls were added, three from Jordan from 2021 and three from US stocks, and Austria has also ordered twelve new UH-60Ms, with deliveries planned from 2028. What you need to keep in mind when spotting in the neighboring country is in the article Plane spotting in Austria.

Sweden: As a stopgap for the delayed NH90, Sweden bought 15 used UH-60Ms directly from the US Army in 2011. In the Swedish Armed Forces they are called Hkp 16; the handover took place in January 2012 at Malmen airfield near Linköping. The aircraft served in Afghanistan, where they evacuated the wounded, and in Mali, and from Malmen they are also available for police transport. In 2024 Sweden ordered twelve more UH-60Ms.

Poland: At the PZL Mielec plant, which Sikorsky took over in 2007, final assembly of the export version S-70i has been running since 2010. Polish special forces and the police fly Black Hawks from this production.

Slovakia: The Slovak air force received nine new UH-60Ms between 2017 and 2020; more aircraft from US stocks are added to that.

Baltics and Balkans: Latvia and Lithuania have each ordered four UH-60Ms; Latvia took over the first ones in late 2022. Croatia flies UH-60Ms, and in 2024 the USA gave the green light for eight more. Albania operates used UH-60As.

Other users: Portugal uses UH-60As and UH-60Ls, including for firefighting. Greece signed a contract for 35 UH-60Ms for the Army in 2024, Norway has ordered UH-60Ms and rescue versions, and in Turkey the license version T-70 is rolling off the line.

Location	Chance of a hit	Why
Around Wiesbaden, Ansbach, Grafenwöhr	high	Sites of the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade
Around Langenlebarn (Lower Austria)	high	Home of the Austrian Black Hawks
Alps during avalanche and flood situations	medium	Bundesheer disaster missions
Air shows and open days	medium	static or in the flying program
Malmen near Linköping (Sweden)	medium	Handover site and base of the Hkp 16

Tracking and finding Black Hawks

There is no flight plan, and many military flights are hidden in commercial services. Some Black Hawks nevertheless transmit Mode S or ADS-B and show up under the type code H60. For rotary-wing aircraft in particular, the article Finding helicopters on the flight tracker helps. If you want to match your sightings against serial numbers, the article on Scramble has a military database that many spotters use.

Air shows offer the most reliable chances. At the Royal International Air Tattoo in Fairford, American and European helicopters are regularly represented. You can find dates in the overview of Air shows in Europe.

Photo tips specifically for the Black Hawk

A helicopter with a frozen rotor looks as if it is about to fall out of the sky. With the Black Hawk, main and tail rotors are in the picture at the same time as well.

The basics of panning are explained in the guide Photographing propellers: the right shutter speed, and the article Helicopter spotting collects general tips for rotary-wing aircraft. What is allowed at barracks and air bases is in Photographing military airfields: rules.

Common mix-ups and how to rule them out

You can see historic helicopters from all eras, including predecessors such as the Huey, up close at the Helicopter Museum Bückeburg – a good place to trace the development from the skid-equipped helicopter to the modern multi-role type.

Conclusion

The Black Hawk is one of those helicopters you recognize everywhere after the first conscious look. Flat fuselage, four-blade rotor, canted tail rotor and large horizontal stabilizer – with these features you are on the safe side. In Germany the aircraft almost always belong to the US Army, while in Austria, Sweden, Poland and the Balkans they belong to the national armed forces. As more and more European countries procure the type, the hunt for new operators and versions will become more exciting rather than more boring in the coming years.