Sikorsky offers Black Hawk maintenance and simulator flight training to Latin America militaries

Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, is positioning its depot-level maintenance and pilot training facilities in Colombia for use by other Black Hawk helicopter users in Latin America. Originally established to support the Colombia Armed Forces and National Police, the support facilities will allow the region’s other Black Hawk operators – Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Mexico – to take advantage of the same services close to their home bases of operation.

“Our facilities in Colombia have the manpower, the expertise, the space and capacity to provide flight simulator training for the region’s Black Hawk pilots, and to conduct phased inspections and major overhauls for their aircraft,” said Adam Schierholz, Sikorsky regional executive for Latin America. “As a regional hub for Black Hawk helicopters in Latin America, Sikorsky can help our customers achieve high mission readiness rates — all at very affordable rates.”

Since 2012, Sikorsky Colombia grew from an administrative office in Bogota to a full product support center. Collectively, the Colombian Army, Colombian Air Force and Colombia National Police have acquired 103 Black Hawk aircraft since 1988.

Growth of the region’s Hawk fleet has nearly doubled in the past 10 years from 120 to 180 aircraft, with the additional aircraft coming from Mexico, Colombia and Brazil. Fleet growth will continue later this year when the Chilean Air Force will take delivery of six S-70i™ Black Hawk aircraft.