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Vertical Mag • Oliver Johnson

TSB: Helijet Sikorsky S-76 lightning likely helicopter-induced, triggering display failures and tail-rotor damage (Oct 2023)

Canada’s Transportation Safety Board says a Helijet Sikorsky S-76 flight in October 2023—2 crew and 12 passengers—encountered lightning in overcast, conductive conditions. Investigators conclude the strike was likely helicopter-induced, temporarily taking out all electronic displays and destroying a tail-rotor blade before the plunge.

2026-05-14T05:30:36.889974-07:00

Lockheed Martin

US Marine Corps awards Sikorsky–Robinson Unmanned $15.5M for MARV-EL Increment 2 autonomous R66 cargo helicopter flight demonstr

2026-04-27T13:05:14.237181-07:00

Aviation Week

Bell Textron creates Ukraine subsidiary to support helicopter assembly, MRO and long-term defense industrial cooperation

2026-04-17T10:45:15.785400-07:00

Vertical Mag

Sikorsky reports near-30 hours of UH-60M Black Hawk ITEP test flying with GE T901 engines

2026-05-05T05:54:49.744687-07:00

News Timeline

Vertical Mag

TSB: Helijet Sikorsky S-76 lightning likely helicopter-induced, triggering display failures and tail-rotor damage (Oct 2023) Canada’s Transportation Safety Board says a Helijet Sikorsky S-76 flight in October 2023—2 crew and 12 passengers—encountered lightning in overcast, conductive conditions. Investigators conclude the strike was likely helicopter-induced, temporarily taking out all electronic displays and destroying a tail-rotor blade before the plunge.

2026-05-14T05:30:36.889974-07:00

TSB: Helijet Sikorsky S-76 lightning likely helicopter-induced, triggering display failures and tail-rotor damage (Oct 2023)

Vertical Mag

Sikorsky reports near-30 hours of UH-60M Black Hawk ITEP test flying with GE T901 engines Sikorsky says U.S. Army and industry test pilots have now accumulated nearly 30 flight-test hours using next-generation GE T901 engines on the UH-60M Black Hawk under the ITEP effort. The update reflects continued progress in validating the engine integration on the program’s test aircraft.

2026-05-05T05:54:49.744687-07:00

Sikorsky reports near-30 hours of UH-60M Black Hawk ITEP test flying with GE T901 engines

Vertical Mag

Sikorsky and Near Earth Autonomy selected with Autonomous 505 and R66 Turbinetruck finalists for U.S. Marine Corps MARV-EL resup Sikorsky and Near Earth Autonomy are developing two autonomy-enabled platforms—Autonomous 505 and the R66 Turbinetruck—selected as finalists in the U.S. Army’s Flight School Next for manned variants. The pair will now support development for the U.S. Marine Corps’ MARV-EL contested logistics resupply mission.

2026-04-29T11:21:14.219573-07:00

Sikorsky and Near Earth Autonomy selected with Autonomous 505 and R66 Turbinetruck finalists for U.S. Marine Corps MARV-EL resup

DefenseNews.com

State Department clears sale of nine UH-60M Black Hawk utility helicopters to Slovakia The US Department of State, via DSCA, has approved the Foreign Military Sales of nine UH-60M Black Hawk utility helicopters to Slovakia. The package reflects continued rotorcraft procurement activity in Europe and adds to the baseline of H-60-family sustainment and interoperability considerations for the Slovak fleet.

2026-04-28T15:34:29.079273-07:00

State Department clears sale of nine UH-60M Black Hawk utility helicopters to Slovakia

Lockheed Martin

US Marine Corps awards Sikorsky–Robinson Unmanned $15.5M for MARV-EL Increment 2 autonomous R66 cargo helicopter flight demonstr The U.S. Marine Corps selected Sikorsky (Lockheed Martin) and Robinson Helicopter’s Robinson Unmanned for the second increment of the Medium Aerial Resupply Vehicle–Expeditionary Logistics (MARV-EL) program, awarding $15.5 million to advance an autonomous aerial logistics platform based on the R66 TurbineTruck into flight testing.

2026-04-27T13:05:14.237181-07:00

US Marine Corps awards Sikorsky–Robinson Unmanned $15.5M for MARV-EL Increment 2 autonomous R66 cargo helicopter flight demonstr

DefenseNews.com

House defense bill seeks sole-source authority for Air Force “Huey” replacement contract, initially targeted at Sikorsky A House defense bill would grant the U.S. Air Force authority to sole source the contract for a Huey replacement after the service initially sought a single-source award to Sikorsky for UH-60 Black Hawks. The proposal elevates procurement flexibility for a legacy helicopter recapitalization effort.

2026-04-26T15:34:24.780761-07:00

House defense bill seeks sole-source authority for Air Force “Huey” replacement contract, initially targeted at Sikorsky

DefenseNews.com

Slovakia plots up to €300m buy of nine UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters Slovakia’s defence minister Martin Glváč has unveiled plans to acquire nine UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters in a deal estimated at up to €300 million (about US$348 million), according to local daily Pravda. The announcement frames a near-term rotary-wing capability refresh and potential follow-on sustainment demands.

2026-04-25T00:50:55.044897-07:00

Slovakia plots up to €300m buy of nine UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters

Aviation Today

U.S. Army and Sikorsky use H-60M Black Hawk autonomy testbed to inform MV-75 FLRAA Army and Sikorsky say a new Black Hawk outfitted for autonomous flight is now serving as a testbed to mature autonomy capability targeted for the future MV-75 FLRAA. The effort is positioned as part of the service’s broader approach to integrating autonomy into next-generation rotorcraft concepts.

2026-04-23T07:40:35.446913-07:00

U.S. Army and Sikorsky use H-60M Black Hawk autonomy testbed to inform MV-75 FLRAA

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Sikorsky News

TSB: Helijet Sikorsky S-76 lightning likely helicopter-induced, triggering display failures and tail-rotor damage (Oct 2023)

US Marine Corps awards Sikorsky–Robinson Unmanned $15.5M for MARV-EL Increment 2 autonomous R66 cargo helicopter flight demonstr

Bell Textron creates Ukraine subsidiary to support helicopter assembly, MRO and long-term defense industrial cooperation

Sikorsky reports near-30 hours of UH-60M Black Hawk ITEP test flying with GE T901 engines

News Timeline