UH-60V digital cockpit upgrades pass IOT&E

Northrop Grumman-supplied digital cockpit upgrades in the integrated avionics suite aboard the US Army’s UH-60V Black Hawk have recently completed initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E).

The completion of the IOT&E phase marks a significant milestone in the UH-60V’s development, with the service and suppliers seeking to start full-rate production.

UH-60V Digital Cockpit [US Army] #1
US Army

James Conroy, vice president of Navigation, Targeting and Survivability at Northrop Grumman, said: “[The company’s] scalable, fully integrated avionics system will ensure the legacy Black Hawk fleet remains at the forefront of combat capability for decades to come… It is designed with a secure, open architecture that provides greater mission flexibility and a rapid upgrade path.”

The upgrades allow for enhanced pilot situational understanding and improvements in mission safety, whilst decreasing pilot workload and life-cycle costs. It also provides the UH-60V with a near identical pilot-vehicle interface to the UH-60M which enables common training and operational employment. The company adds that “the foundational architecture of the UH-60V can be adapted to numerous aircraft platforms and is available globally.”