Black Hawk Vs. Seahawk: What’s The Difference Between These Military Helicopters?

U.S. DoD/Josephus37/Wikimedia Commons Add SlashGear on Google: Preferred Source Google Discover The United States military flies a lot of helicopters, and while the U.S. Army (USA) maintains the largest fleet of choppers, the other branches have plenty to work with. One of the most ubiquitous helicopters in service is the UH-60 Black Hawk, which is the USA’ss workhorse chopper. It’s used for all manner of missions and is flown all over the world to support military operations, as it’s utilized by multiple countries, thanks to high production numbers and arms export deals.

The UH-60 was introduced in 1979, and there are tons of variants with unique characteristics. One variant is the U.S. Navy’s (USN) MH-60 Seahawk, which entered service in 1985 and has been flying ever since. The MH-60, as its designation indicates, is a variant of the UH-60, but how different can they be given that they’re from the same family? It turns out that Sikorsky didn’t manufacture the MH-60 for the USN on a whim, and the two helicopters are decidedly different in their overall capabilities, their respective roles for the USN and USA, and their appearance, which is somewhat dissimilar.

The most notable differences center around which organizations operate the two aircraft. The UH-60 is flown by numerous USA units, including Special Forces (SF) and Special Operations Forces (SOF). Conversely, the MH-60 is flown by the USN, with different variants produced over time that carry out a diverse mission set. The HH-60J/M Jayhawk variant is also flown by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), and both the MH-60 and UH-60 are exported to allied nations for their respective militaries. Here’s how the two aircraft differ from one another.

U.S. DoD/Wikimedia Commons The UH-60 Black Hawk replaced the Bell UH-1 Iroquois, better known as the “Huey,” and has been the USA’s most-used helicopter since. Because the UH-60 was introduced nearly 50 years ago, the modern aircraft is significantly more advanced than the UH-60A models first flown in ’79. As of this writing, the most recent addition is the UH-60V, which is a digital variant featuring numerous software upgrades over its predecessors, though the “V” upgrade wasn’t used across the entire UH-60 fleet.

Despite this, the most-used version remains the UH-60M, which includes software and hardware upgrades, making it into a modernized beast. Regardless of which variant is used, the UH-60 is most often employed as a utility helicopter, hence the “UH” designation. It can transport up to 12 fully kitted-out troops into and out of hostile areas. It’s used for Air Assault missions, but UH-60s have also aided in firefighting, as well as search and rescue missions and combat assault operations.

Most are outfitted with twin door gunner positions to protect helicopter ingress/egress and during flight. They’re used by SOF as well as regular Army troops, so the USA puts its large fleet of helicopters, including the UH-60, to work. Perhaps the most important aspect of the UH-60’s design is its versatility, as it’s employed in as many mission types as possible. While the MH-60 was derived from the UH-60, it’s not so much a variant as it is an entirely different helicopter due largely to how it’s used, alongside several configuration differences required by the USN.

Tomás Del Coro/Wikimedia Commons While the MH-60 Seahawk looks similar to the heavily utilized UH-60 Black Hawk, it has several notable differences that make it unique to the USN. These include folding rotor blades and a folding tail boom, which aids in reducing storage space on ships. They’re operated from any ship with a helipad or flat-top surface, so most vessels can and do use the MH-60 for naval operations. These include performing anti-surface warfare, search and rescue, combat search and rescue, anti-submarine warfare, medical evacuation, and much more.

There are also numerous variants, including the MH-60R/S Seahawks, which are replacing older Seahawk models. The primary differences between the MH-60 and UH-60 stem from the numerous configurations of the former over the latter. The MH-60 is heavily modified to enable maritime operations, so it’s better suited to flying around saltwater than the Army’s helicopter. The multi-mission chopper is also used more by SOF for various tactical missions, as well as maritime search and rescue. Additionally, the MH-60 often carries different weapons due to its operating environment.

These include torpedoes and other ordnance used in anti-submarine warfare operations that serve no benefit to a UH-60 operated by the USA. The MH-60 is also outfitted with the AN/AQS-22 Airborne Low Frequency Sonar system used to locate submerged targets. While the UH-60 primarily supports transport operations, the MH-60 is more specialized for its environment, taking part in operations the UH-60 isn’t suited for due to its configuration and reduced ability to function properly in marine environments due to a lack of corrosion protection.