United Rotorcraft to convert two Colombian Black Hawks into Firehawks
The upgrades will include a new composite belly tank, and better avionics and landing gear
United Rotorcraft, a division of Air Methods, has been awarded a contract by the Colombian Air Force to convert two legacy UH-60L Black Hawks into Firehawks, for use in aerial firefighting and emergency response.
This will include the installation of United Rotorcraft’s proprietary high landing gear, a 1,000gal Dart Aerospace composite belly tank, and an advanced avionics suite to improve situational awareness during missions.
The company stated that, with this contract, the Colombian Air Force would become the first international operator for the Firehawk.
“Colombia has operated Black Hawk helicopters for 37 years, giving us highly experienced pilots and crewmembers trained specifically for firefighting missions,” said General Luis Carlos Córdoba, Commander of the Colombian Air Force. “This ensures the successful deployment and operation of the Firehawk in our country.”
The helicopters will assist the air force in addressing the growing risk of wildfires in the country.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) recently added two more helicopters to its own Firehawk fleet.
Oliver Cuenca
Oliver Cuenca is a Junior Editor at the Voyageur Group. He was previously a News and Features Journalist for the rail magazine IRJ until 2021, and studied MA Magazine Journalism at Cardiff University. His favourite helicopter is the AW169 – the workhorse of the UK air ambulance sector! He also led the creation of Waypoint: The AirMed&Rescue podcast, serving as its Production Editor and co-host.