Northrop Grumman open architecture UH-60V avionics suite enters service.

The UH-60V Black Hawk helicopter, enabled by the Northrop Grumman Corporation integrated avionics suite, has entered service with the Pennsylvania National Guard’s unit at Fort Indiantown Gap. This First Unit Equipped milestone marks the entry into service of the Army’s first helicopter with a modular, open architecture systems design, Northrop Grumman’s OpenLift.

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The UH-60V has achieved the First Unit Equipped milestone, entering service with the Pennsylvania National Guard (Picture source: US Army)

“The UH-60V’s entry into service is a capstone achievement that speaks to the whole team’s dedication, commitment and longtime partnership with the Army and the National Guard. We’ve now brought a transformational aircraft to fruition,” said James Conroy, vice president, navigation, targeting & survivability, Northrop Grumman.

The UH-60V enhances aircrew situational understanding and mission safety while reducing pilot workload. The pilot-vehicle interface is nearly identical to that of the UH-60M, enabling common training and operational employment. The system has been certified by the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation Missile Center for operation under Visual Flight Rules.

Northrop Grumman’s UH-60V integrated mission equipment package offers our OpenLift open architecture and a modernized glass cockpit (Picture source: US Army)

“The OpenLift modular, open systems architecture gives the Army a highly survivable UH-60 that can be upgraded over time to meet changing mission requirements, and it bridges the enduring and Future Vertical Lift fleets,” said Conroy.

OpenLift, Northrop Grumman’s modular open systems architecture for the UH-60V, can be adapted to numerous aircraft and is approved for export.

A UH-60V Black Hawk helicopter is secured after being flown to Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa., on July 27, 2021. The Pennsylvania National Guard’s Eastern Army National Guard Aviation Training Site received the first fielding of UH-60V Black Hawks from the Utility Helicopter Program Office (Picture source: Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Keeler)