Sikorsky announced on Tuesday a four-year contract with the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) to provide logistical support for its 16 UH-60L Black Hawk helicopters.
The agreement includes support to the fleet, resulting from local storage, storage of commonly required spare parts, assistance from the regional Sikorsky field service technician, and direct technical support from Sikorsky Engineering.
“We thank the Brazilian Air Force for selecting Sikorsky to provide the highest level of logistics support for its Black Hawk helicopter fleet,” said Felipe Benvegnu, director of Sikorsky sustainment business development.
“Local storage of spare parts will eliminate long lead times for material that would keep an aircraft on the ground. Close collaboration with Sikorsky engineers, whether virtual or in person, will also help the Air Force maintainers improve the readiness rates of these utility aircraft for important missions, such as search and rescue.”
Program similar to the Brazilian Army
The Air Force incorporated the 16 Black Hawk helicopters between 2006 and 2013 through the US government’s FMS (Foreign Military Sales) program. They are located in the 5th/8th GAV, known as Squadron Pantera, based in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul.
The FAB agreement is similar to what Sikorsky signed with the Brazilian Army for the four S-70A helicopters operated by the force and which reached 100% availability in 2019, according to the company.
