http://www.key.aero/view_news.asp?ID=44 ... n=military
First Four UH-60Ms for Sweden Delivered
In a ceremony at Sikorsky's facility in Stratford, Connecticut, on November 17, the fourth UH-60M for the Swedish Armed Forces was handed over.
17-Nov-2011
One of the new production UH-60M Black Hawks for the Swedish Air Force awaits delivery. Sikorsky
IN A ceremony on November 17 in Stratford, Connecticut, Sikorsky Aircraft delivered the fourth of 15 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters to the US Army, for onward transfer to the Swedish Defence Material Administration (FMV).
Sikorsky is building and delivering all 15 UH-60Ms to an accelerated 18-month production schedule that began when the formal contract for them was awarded on May 25, 2011.
The first was handed-over to the US Army in September and the company is on schedule to complete delivery of the first seven in December 2011.
The remaining eight will follow by autumn 2012.
The FMV is procuring the helicopters through the US Government’s Foreign Military Sales programme.
The accelerated build schedule will enable the Swedish Armed Forces to deploy three UH-60M aircraft to Afghanistan in April, 2013 for medical evacuation, utility, and search and rescue missions.
Sweden’s aircraft are equipped with an advanced flight control system to reduce pilot workload, full night vision device capability and a state-of-the-art communications suite.
The US Army will further modify the aircraft before delivery with a variety of equipment, including an exterior rescue hoist, gunner seats, armored floor, stackable litters, a cockpit heater and an environmental control system.
Swedish aircrew — already flight qualified in UH-60Ms at the US Army Aviation Center, Fort Rucker, Alabama — will receive follow on unit training at the Swedish Air Force base in Linköping following the arrival of the first four unmodified aircraft in Sweden in early 2012.
Sikorsky Aerospace Services and Swedish defense and security company Saab will provide maintainer training and long-term logistics support for the fleet.