Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. [UTX] said Tuesday it was awarded the Combat Tempered Platform Demonstration (CTPD) contract to build on and improve the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter by developing and integrating a suite of advanced new technologies and establishing their benefits before transitioning them to the platform and eventual use by the nation’s soldiers.
The award, issued by the Army’s Aviation Applied Technology Directorate (AATD), is expected to improve on the helicopter’s already high operational durability and survivability.
This project builds on previous work by Sikorsky Innovations, the technology development organization for Sikorsky Aircraft, by advancing key technologies including a zero-vibration system, adaptive flight control laws, advanced fire management, durable main rotor, full-spectrum crashworthiness, and damage tolerant airframe.
“CTPD is truly a capstone project that ties together many lines of technological development and culminates in a series of realistic integrated demonstrations,” said Mark Miller, vice president of Sikorsky’s Research and Engineering organization, which includes Sikorsky Innovations. “This program shows Sikorsky Innovations’ commitment to work with AATD to develop solutions to the war fighter’s toughest challenges.”
The work under the new contract involves establishing the benefits of these technologies as a complete system through realistic ground and flight testing.
“As Sikorsky modernizes the Black Hawk fleet and prepares for the Joint Multi-Role (JMR) helicopter competition for the future replacement of the fleet, it is imperative that we continue to develop and integrate the latest technologies into flight solutions that give our soldiers the protection they deserve,” said Chris Van Buiten, vice president of Sikorsky Innovations.
Sikorsky Innovations is joined by a team of more than 15 partnering companies including Lord Corporation, Phyre Technologies, and Firetrace Aerospace.