Ukraine acquires Black Hawk
On 21 February 2023, the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine (HUR MO, Головне управління розвідки Міністерства оборони України) published some photos of a UH-60A Black Hawk in Ukrainian Armed Forces markings. No Ukrainian serial was noted on the photo footage.
Its previous identity is most likely N60FW (ex USAr 80-23439, c/n 70197), whose colour scheme is prefectly matching the Ukrainian one. This Black Hawk has been acquired by the US company Ace Aeronautics LLc, Guntersville (AL), USA. The registration N60FW was issued in November 2015.
This company provides innovative and long-term avionic and airframe solutions to commercial and government aviation users worldwide. The company offers commercial and military off-the-shelf (COTS/MOTS) products for fixed and rotary wing aircraft that provide state-of-the-art system solutions to resolve avionics obsolescence and capability gaps.
Currently, ACE Aeronautics have three UH-60A Black Hawks registered as owned by them. Next to the aforementioned N60FW, these are N60HD (ex USAr 85-24411) and N60RN (ex USAr 81-23559). If these two are also destined for Ukraine is not known yet.
The company is also known of upgrading the Österreichische Luftstreitkräfte (OeLSK, Austrian Air Force) S-70A Black Hawks. Scramble Magazine reported first on this upgrade in March 2021, when the OeLSK received their first upgraded S-70A.
Photo by Main Directorate of Intelligence (MoD Ukraine)