War History Online says that the long-lasting UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, made famous by movies and its participation in successful military actions since its introduction in the 1970s, will remain in service until the 2030s. Its reliable and adaptable airframe will continue flying until the U.S. Future Vertical Lift Program replaces it. Military helicopter parts support these highly adaptable flying machines and their siblings in the Armed Forces.
H-60 Black Hawk Sustainment
The H-60 family has many offshoots, including the Navy’s SH-60 Seahawk and the Air Force’s MH-60 Pave Hawk in addition to the Army’s Black Hawk. These will all need military helicopter parts throughout the remainder of their life spans. The H-60 will continue to serve with excellence.
VH-92 Patriot Marine One
One of the most important helicopter contracts in the last decade is the Marine One helicopter replacement program. The Sikorsky/Lockheed Martin VH-92 Patriot is scheduled to replace Marine Helicopter Squadron 1’s mixed fleet of Sikorsky VH-3D Sea King, VH-60N Whitehawk, and Bell-Boeing MV-22 Osprey aircraft once certified fully operational. The aircraft reached initial operational capability (IOC) as of 2023 but has not yet actively carried President Biden. The military helicopter parts market for these aircraft is inherently limited as these crafts represent a small fleet but are important to the U.S. military.
H-1 Helicopter Fleet Replacement
If there’s a rotary-wing aircraft even longer-lasting in the U.S. military than the Black Hawk, it’s the Vietnam-era Hughes H-1 helicopter family. Split into UH-1 Iroquois (“Huey”) and AH-1 Cobra (“Huey Cobra”) lines, the U.S. military’s oldest active turbine-powered helicopter is expected to soldier on into at least the 2040s, as its replacement project will not start delivering aircraft until the 2030s. The last H-1 helicopter, an AH-1Z Viper (“Zulu Cobra”), was delivered in 2021.
Future Vertical Lift
The next frontier in military rotary-wing airlift is the Future Vertical Lift (FVL) program. With competitors Bell and Sikorsky/Boeing putting forward the V-280 Valor and SB-1, respectively, the two aircraft continue to compete for the overall Future Vertical Lift contract, with Bell winning the Army’s Future Long Range Assault Aircraft contract in December 2022. Sikorsky remains in contention for the other portions of the FVL program.
The future of the military helicopter parts market remains lucrative, with many programs yet to be decided and many aircraft to be delivered. Secure partnerships with the U.S. military are one of the best markets in the aviation industry. Give us a call today for more information on military helicopter parts.