Blackhawk Power: What You Need to Know

There is perhaps no rotorcraft more dependable than the UH-60 Blackhawk. For over 40 years, the Blackhawk has been serving countries worldwide as the multi-mission helicopter of choice. Over the years, the dependability of this helicopter has allowed even further adaptations and modifications, to continue to make it the most versatile rotorcraft in operation.

Although the airframe for the UH-60 hasn’t changed much over the years, the Blackhawk has continued to be equipped with the most recent technology to optimize performance. The versatility of the airframe allows fleets to outfit their Blackhawks with components for their assigned duty. Whether it’s being used to deliver and extract troops, save lives during a medical evacuation, provide critical supplies to troops, deliver emergency supplies during natural disasters, and perform as an aerial firefighter and border patroller, the Blackhawk can handle any mission.

With all of the enhancements and additional components that continue to be added to the UH-60, more and more power is required to keep the Blackhawk running and power the numerous upgrades.

What exactly does it take to power the Blackhawk?

The UH-60 Blackhawk is equipped with two General Electric T700-GE-701D engines. Each Engine is powered by its own generator. These generators help provide the power to keep the engines operating and running the enhanced components. Having a reliable generator can make or break the entire mission, and increasing the power capability eliminates your crew from having to prioritize what components to run. The newest generator upgrade from Honeywell, the 60 kVA Generator, provides an additional 15 kVA per engine, giving fleets the power, they need to run multiple components without sacrifice.

When the Blackhawk is not in the air, an APU Generator is responsible for powering the aircraft when the main engines aren’t running. After start-up, they generate power to the main on-board systems pre-flight. One of the key functionalities for most operators is the responsibility of the APU generator to run the air conditioning systems for your crew, which is incredibly important in hot environments. The APU Generator also serves as a backup power source in any potential emergency, mitigating the risk for your mission to be grounded.

Did you know at S3 we are exclusive distributors on the latest Honeywell APU Generator?

Solutions

Aircraft Upgrade and Modification Solutions
Avionics, Structural, and Aircraft System Upgrades
Component Upgrade or Replacement
System-Level Performance Enhancement Solutions
Engineering and Technical Solutions

Complete Package Lifecycle Sustainment Solutions
Fleet Configuration and Obsolescence Management
On-Site Inspection and Return to Service Maintenance Solutions
Performance-Based Logistics Solutions
Material Supply Chain Programs

Cost per Flight Solutions (CpFH) and Rotable Pool Solutions
Long Term Component Repair Solutions
Organic Component Level Capability Development
Solutions to Establish or Expand On-Site MRO Capability
Test Stand and Tooling Design, Fabrication, and Provisioning
Full Turn-Key Operations including Training, Piece Parts Provisioning, and Facility Standup

History

Founded in 2005 by Jeff Wnuk, Aksel Sidem and Sebastien Imbert, S3 AeroDefense began as S3 International with the intent to provide innovative, cost effective Spares, Repairs Services, and Solutions: to become a One Stop Shop for the Commercial and Military aircraft operators around the world.

By 2011, S3 had formed and added an FAA & EASA approved Repair Station – offering a broad scope of in-house repair capabilities enlarging its portfolio of services.

In 2016, S3 was nominated and received the prestigious “E” Awards presented by the U.S Secretary of Commerce recognizing their significant contribution to U.S Exports.

The original founders believed that continued growth would come by adding expertise, value-added services, and inventory. They decided to form a strategic partnership in 2018 with Dermond Aerospace, led by the Dermond Brothers: Eric, Max and Stephane. The Dermonds are the original founders of Derco Aerospace and renowned pioneers of the military aftermarket.

In 2020, S3 celebrated its 15^th year of success and the Executive Leadership decided to rebrand as S3 AeroDefense. As a global leader in the defense aftermarket, the new name emphasizes the long-term vision: to continue to be a trusted partner in the Aerospace and Defense market by being the one partner to offer all solutions.