NGAUS Alert 12-13

The Issue: Support funding for modernization of the Army National Guard Black Hawk helicopter fleet

Immediate Action Required: Urge your senators to support funding for modernization of the Army National Guard Black Hawk helicopter fleet

NGAUS is asking you to urge your senators to support funding for modernization of the Army National Guard Black Hawk helicopter fleet.

With more than 2,000 in service, the Army Black Hawk helicopter fleet is the largest flying fleet of all the services. The Army National Guard operates more than 815 UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. More than 500 of these are “A” models and a majority are more than 30 years old and nearing the end of their useful lives.

The past 10 years have marked the highest ever operational tempo for Army Guard Black Hawks. Black Hawk helicopters flown by the Army Guard enjoy a unique mission set that includes not only supporting deployments and other traditional Army missions, but also emergency response missions, including search and rescue, fire fighting, medical evacuation and disaster relief here at home.

However, Black Hawk fleet modernization (remanufacturing UH-60As into UH-60Ls and the procurement of new UH/HH-60Ms) has slowed to the point that it is not keeping up with the aging fleet. In fact, at the current procurement rate, the last Army Guard UH-60A will not be retired until fiscal year 2027, when the “A” model Black Hawks will be more than 37 years old.

That is why the modernization of the “A” model Black Hawk fleet must be kept on track.

In May, the House Appropriations Committee requested an additional $199 million above the budget request for 10 new UH–60M helicopters and $20 million above the request for the UH-60 A-to-L conversion for the Army Guard.

The Senate will be marking its version of the defense bill soon.  Please contact Senate committee leaders and urge them to support the additional funding in Senate version of the bill.

TAKE THE FOLLOWING ACTION:  
By using the Write to Congress feature on the NGAUS website at www.ngaus.org, you can email your elected representatives. A sample letter is included. You can email the prewritten message or edit the sample letter as you desire. This is the quickest and most effective method of expressing your views to Congress. Also, contact your friends and family members and urge them to use Write to Congress as well. For further information and background, visit our website at www.ngaus.org. Please direct any questions concerning this issue to Annie Lively, NGAUS senior legislative affairs manager for Army programs, at 202-408-5897 or via email at annie.lively@ngaus.org