WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The estimated completion date is June 30, 2017, the Defense Department said.
"Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation [of] Stratford, Connecticut, was awarded a $158.4 million modification… contract to exercise an option for 14 UH-60 aircraft," the release stated on Tuesday.
The sandy, hot and high-altitude conditions that define combat in Afghanistan and Iraq exposed the limitations of the Black Hawk and the US Army has called for a new design to travel higher, farther and faster, while carrying heavier loads.
