Newest Black Hawk modification complete

By Staff Sgt. JaJuan S. Broadnax, U.S. Army Special Operations Aviation CommandOctober 22, 2015

Newest Black Hawk modification complete
1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Brig. Gen. Erik Peterson, commanding general of the U.S. Army Special Operations Aviation Command (Airborne) gives a speech during a ceremony at the Special Operations Forces Supply Activity facility in Richmond, Kentucky on Oct. 16, 2015. The ceremo... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Newest Black Hawk modification complete
2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Brig. Gen. Erik Peterson, commanding general of the U.S. Army Special Operations Aviation Command (Airborne) gives a speech during a ceremony at the Special Operations Forces Supply Activity facility in Richmond, Kentucky on Oct. 16, 2015. The ceremo... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Newest Black Hawk modification complete
3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Brig. Gen. Erik Peterson, commanding general of the United States Army Special Operations Aviation Command (Airborne) and SOFSA Program Executive Officer Col. Samuel Peterson pose with Lockheed Martin employees and several members of the 160th Specia... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

RICHMOND, Ky. (USASOC News Service, Oct. 22, 2015) -- The last of the newest line of special operations helicopters was shown at the Special Operations Forces Supply Activity (SOFSA) facility on Oct. 16.

The first two of this aircraft was released from the SOFSA Facility to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) in early 2011.

"For over 10 years, this has been one of the largest, complex programs ever undertaken by USSOCOM and executed right here at a little bluegrass station in Lexington, Kentucky," said SOFSA Program Executive Officer Col. Samuel Peterson.

"The complexity of such an undertaking cannot be overstated, nor can the accomplishments with respect to the overarching acquisition imperatives of cost, schedule and performance", said Brig. Gen. Erik Peterson, commanding general of the U.S. Army Special Operations Aviation Command (Airborne).

In 2005, contracts were issued for modifications to the 160th SOAR's existing fleets of MH-60K and MH-60L models. The modifications included improved rotor blades and engines, a new suite of flight systems and navigations aids, multi-mode radar, a new-build cabin fuselage and a composite tail cone and horizontal stabilizer.

"All of this was accomplished by a skilled, well-trained, well-lead and managed workforce executing with outstanding productions, engineering, and technical collaboration", said Peterson. "[It] was accomplished below budget due to efficiency sought and achieved by this workforce."

"While this program is extremely important to SOCOM, U.S. Army Special Operation Command, USASOAC and of course to the Nightstalker regiment or 160th SOAR, [it has] also greatly enhanced the capabilities of us here at Bluegrass Station as PEO SOFSA, said Peterson. "We have expanded the engineer capabilities to support non-recurring engineering and test flight activities. We now have a robust team with dedicated skill sets that are here to provide our expertise and capabilities to SOF rotary wings needs into the future."

Peterson went on to explain how the facility has been able to expand by building additional hangers, aviation parts warehouses, helo pads, and various upgrades to improve the logistics process and procedures needed to better support the 160th SOAR at Fort Campbell.

"What really impresses me is the teamwork and the team of contributors and stakeholders that brought all of this together, said Peterson. "It's pretty humbling the amount of talent we have assembled for such a sustained effort and even more impressive is the collaboration and collegiality across this team that got us to this milestone. "

"What also impresses me is that all of this talent provided a substantially improved, reliable, high-performance tool to better enable our most important asset: the Nightstalker Soldier, he said. "And trust me: those Nightstalkers, and the elite special operations forces that they support, have effectively used the tool that you have provided across the globe in the most demanding missions in the most demanding conditions and it has never let them down."

He explained that the Nightstalkers have flown the MH-60M in more than 13 different countries to demonstrate the United States' resolve, and have executed more than a dozen combat missions in Afghanistan while supporting U.S. Special Forces.

"Thank you for enabling Nightstalkers with effective tools to accomplish their in incomprehensively demanding missions in the face of determined foes anywhere in the world," said Peterson.

The SOFSA Bluegrass Station will continue to support the 160th SOAR with aviation maintenance and supply requests.