UAE reveals armed Black Hawk

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has revealed a new weaponised variant of the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, developed by Abu Dhabi-based Advanced Military Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul Center (AMMROC).

The newly revealed armed Black Hawk for the UAE shows several enhancements, most notably the stub wings fitted with four hardpoints for the carriage of a range of weapons. (Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan via Twitter)

The helicopter was officially unveiled on 22 January during an event attended by the crown prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Images of the event show the transport and utility platform as having been upgraded with a nose-mounted electro-optic/infrared (EO/IR) sensor turret; stub-wing pylons with four hardpoints carrying rocket pods and air-to-surface missiles; door-mounted Gatlin guns; as well as engine intake-mounted flare dispensers and modified exhaust outlets.

While a number of these features have already been seen on unarmed Black Hawks operated by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Air Force and Air Defence (AF & AD), the stub-wing weapon pylons are new. Previously released footage showing a Black Hawk firing rockets over Yemen feature a different weapons carriage configuration, with the rocket pods instead being mounted under a modified sponson fitted to the lower forward fuselage.