REDSTONE ARSENAL, Alabama – The Capability Program Executive (CPE) Aviation, through its Utility Helicopters Project Office (UHPO), issued a Request for Information (RFI) to industry aimed at modernizing and sustaining the UH-60M Black Hawk.
The Army plans to keep the UH-60M in service well beyond 2050, over 44 years after the fielding of the first M-model in 2006. The prolific multi-role helicopter has amassed over 15 million flight hours throughout its history and will require a stable and affordable industrial base strategy to continue supporting defense and domestic operations into the future.
The UHPO is exploring a partnership with industry to integrate emerging capabilities into the existing Black Hawk fleet, including autonomy, artificial intelligence, and launched effects for continuous transformation of Army Aviation formations at scale. The program will also augment the Army’s sustainment enterprise, providing additional capacity for airframe repairs and component overhauls, to maintain readiness as the Black Hawk fleet ages.
The RFI will holistically evaluate the industrial base’s manufacturing capability and capacity to deliver UH-60M modernization and sustainment. The request also seeks industry feedback on how best to structure the program to manage technical and financial risks. The program could eventually include other military services, government agencies, and foreign partners who employ variants of the UH-60 Black Hawk.
According to COL Ryan Nesrsta, UHPO project manager, “The Black Hawk has proven itself across decades of service, and the modernization and sustainment efforts in this initiative ensure our soldiers can continue to rely on the Black Hawk as the workhorse of Army Aviation for decades to come.”
The UHPO will host an Industry Day the week of February 16, 2026, with Q&A. The RFI and Industry Day details can be accessed at SAM.GOV, with responses due by March 26, 2026.