MH-60L Black Hawk

The MH-60L Black Hawk is the Army special operations aircraft variant of the UH-60L. The aircraft provides medium and utility helicopter support to special operations forces unique misions. The primary mission of the MH-60L is to conduct overt or covert infiltration, exfiltration, and resupply of special operations forces across a wide range of environmental conditions. Secondary missions of the MH-60L include external load, CSAR and MEDEVAC operations. The MH-60 is capable of operating from fixed base facilities, remote sites, or ocean going vessels.

The MH-60L features various modifications to include updated cockpit, additional avionics, precision navigation system, forward looking infrared (FLIR), aircraft survivability equipment, external tank system. Survivability equipment includes radar and missile warning systems and IR jammers. The MH-60L is powered by 2 General Electric T700-GE-701C 1,843 shaft-horsepower turboshaft engines. The MH-60L can be adapted to the attack mission by attaching dual weapons pylons to both sides of the fuselage. These pylons, mounting cannon, rockets, or missiles, can be supplemented by door or port mounting guns or launchers, limited mainly by the range, duration, cargo, or troops required to complete the mission.

Just prior to Operation Prime Chance in 1987, the 160th replaced the M60D machine guns on the MH-60As with M134 "Miniguns" and added 2 185-gallon internal Robertson auxiliary fuel tanks. In 1989, the unit received UH-60L helicopters that were then modified with the CMS 80 cockpit, global positioning system, color weather radar, FRIES, and an external rescue hoist. These helicopters were designated MH-60L.

After 1991, the MH-60L continued to evolve. The CMS 80 cockpit was upgraded with new multifunction displays, an embedded global-positioning system and an inertial-navigation unit. In addition, advanced aircraft survivability equipment, a weapons-management system, and an aerial-refueling probe were added.