The new Armed Black Hawk kit allows the UH-60 to be quickly reconfigured for new mission sets, increasing flexibility and eliminating the need for a dedicated helicopter type.
Sikorsky announced the new Armed Black Hawk kit on the occasion of the Army Air Combat Summit in Nashville, Tennessee, April 15, 2026. This kit adds new stub wings to a new or existing UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter, allowing it to carry rockets, guided air-to-ground missiles and Gatling guns.
The design appears to be an evolution of the kit shown in the August 2024 video, with some differences clearly visible. At the time, the kit was undergoing validation and live-fire campaigns at a range in Yuma, Arizona.
Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, emphasized that the kit allows the proven UH-60 to be quickly repurposed for air mobility attack, close support fire, medical evacuation, ISR and tactical airlift. The company says this allows for greater flexibility and eliminates the need for a dedicated helicopter type.
We are expanding the Black Hawk’s role from a single combat-tested airframe to a new mission set, including air mobility attack, close support, medical evacuation, ISR and tactical transport.
— Sikorsky (@Sikorsky) April 15, 2026
“The new Armed Black Hawk kits provide the warfighter with one aircraft that can do it all – a single, versatile, combat-proven platform that allows ground units to quickly switch between commercially produced kits to maintain high mission readiness,” said Rich Benton, Sikorsky vice president and general manager.
Armed Black Hawk Kit
As mentioned earlier, both the concept rendering included in the press release and the model of the Armed Blackhawk kit mounted on the UH-60 helicopter at the Army Air Combat Summit showed a different configuration from what was seen in the past Armed Blackhawk. In particular, the new modular armament wings are thinner compared to the thicker and heavier stub wings of the previous Armed Black Hawk kit.
Both the old and new variants of the kit show the ability to use six weapon stations. This allows the Armed Black Hawk to be equipped with two 7.62mm cannons in window mounts, a GP-19 pod with .50 caliber GAU-19 triple Gatling cannons, a 19-rocket MEL pod and optional precision guided missiles.
Mounting points can be configured depending on mission requirements, and so far Sikorsky has demonstrated several configurations. The new stub wings appear to have a more pronounced downward slope to improve aerodynamic performance, but the mounting points appear to maintain the same ground clearance.
For example, both the 2024 video and new renderings show an armed Black Hawk with a quad rack carrying four AGM-114 Hellfire laser-guided missiles and a 19-round rocket pod for 70mm rockets on its outermost hardpoints, with a forward-facing GAU-19 .50 caliber gun on its inner hardpoints. Two M134 7.62 miniguns mounted on window mounts completed the loadout.
Interestingly, the UH-60 unveiled at the Army Air Combat Summit featured four canisters capable of air-launched effects (ALE) on port (left) internal hardpoints, coupled with one AGM-114 Hellfire, one AGM-179 JAGM, two Spike NLOS missiles and two wingtip-mounted datalink antennas.
Quickly configurable and effective.
Sikorsky says the kit can be quickly installed on existing UH-60M Black Hawks and can be purchased through the Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) route for international users or the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route. Foreign customers can also install the kit directly from PZL Mielec, Lockheed Martin’s Polish subsidiary, a faster route than the long and tedious FMS process.
“Delivering these upgraded kits is another example of our commitment to providing 21st century security solutions that deliver unparalleled performance, reduced life cycle, and provide Soldiers with the reliable, interoperable capabilities they need to win now and in the future,” said Rich Benton, Sikorsky vice president and general manager.
Sikorsky added that there are two production-ready kits available for close support or precision strike capabilities. They can be installed on any user’s existing UH-60M fleet and offer multi-role capabilities and provide “attack, transport and support capabilities, and reduced acquisition and sustainment costs.”
The kit may also be pre-installed as an “integrated solution” on future production helicopters as part of new orders. Reconfiguration downtime for the helicopter for kit installation takes less than three hours, allowing for rapid role changes.
Sikorsky said in a statement that the new kit “builds on years of experience supporting the armed Black Hawk fleet in the Middle East, which puts the company in a “unique position to deliver the next generation of kit for tomorrow’s missions.”
