Ukraine Blackhawk

[RavenOne]

Hmmm it appears that the Ukraine mil (their spooks anyhow ) have a Blackhawk

https://twitter.com/x/status/1628009819310288900

View: https://twitter.com/di_ukraine/status/1628009819310288900?s=46&t=kcYY0j2IR3BdQqiEsajfsg






Cheers

 

[TomS]

I stumbled across a video from a few days ago claiming to show Ukrainian soldiers training on the UH-60 in Germany. (The first bit shows CH-47s but the Black Hawks do show up later. Can't prove the troops are UA, though.)

View: https://youtu.be/r3mNoZrx8qA

 

[yasotay]

There are a number of refurbished UH-60A in the public realm. Columbia has some as well, being replaced, so there is a fair number of options out there.

 

[Orionblamblam]

Do we know for sure it's not that Chinese knockoff?

 

[Moose]

Do we know for sure it's not that Chinese knockoff?

3-piece windscreen = UH-60
2-piece windscreen and Alibaba quality = Z-20

 

[RavenOne]

There are a number of refurbished UH-60A in the public realm. Columbia has some as well, being replaced, so there is a fair number of options out there.

Yeppers I know this re Attending Heli expo of the last 2 decades, and seeing likes of Coulson Unical, Fifehawk Helicopters, B3, Ace Aero, Arista Hawk etc…


So depending on the cockpit, I could probably tell which vendor it’s come from…

cheers

 

[yasotay]

Do we know for sure it's not that Chinese knockoff?

3-piece windscreen = UH-60
2-piece windscreen and Alibaba quality = Z-20

UH-60 - 4 blade main rotor
Z-20 - 5 blade main rotor

 

[jeffb]

Have any of the Ukraine support packages included blackhawks? There was a move to supply Afghan Mi-17s to Ukraine, not sure if that went ahead or not.

 

[TomS]

Have any of the Ukraine support packages included blackhawks? There was a move to supply Afghan Mi-17s to Ukraine, not sure if that went ahead or not.

No.

A couple of sources speculate (based on the paint scheme, mainly) that this is an ex-US Army UH-60A airframe acquired by Ace Aviation for commercial sale. The most likely match (N60FW) sort of disappeared about 11 months ago...

https://defence-blog.com/ukraines-intelligence-service-receives-first-black-hawk/

UH-60 Black Hawk Unexpectedly Appears In Ukrainian Military Service

An apparent former U.S. Army UH-60A has appeared in Ukrainian military service, with the shadowy Defense Intelligence directorate.

www.thedrive.com

 

[Roland55]

Have any of the Ukraine support packages included blackhawks? There was a move to supply Afghan Mi-17s to Ukraine, not sure if that went ahead or not.

Recently a video popped up on Twitter showing one of this "Afghan Mi-17s" performing a medical evacuation in Ukraine.

Maybe the Afghan Blackhawks could also be donated?

 

[TomS]

Maybe the Afghan Blackhawks could also be donated?

The Mi-17s were in the United States for maintenance, so they were available. It's not clear that there were any Afghan Black Hawks outside the country to be donated.

 

[F.L.]

Former US Army Black Hawk suddenly appears in Ukraine

Of all the rotorcraft that have been donated from Western allies to Ukraine as it continues to bare the brunt of invading Russian forces, it seems that the first US-built helicopter to be seen involved in the conflict – a UH-60A – has unexpectedly appeared in the service of the secretive Main...

www.key.aero

 

[F.L.]

View attachment 694088

View attachment 694089

What proves to us that these images are not false ? Nothing tells us that this shed is not in another place than Ukraine.

 

[Bounce]

I found the hanger, https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-disassembled-helicopter-repair-stand-in-the-hangar-89175444.html?imageid=1621915C-77AD-4376-B5CB-21BDA79667B1&p=260514&pn=1&searchId=91ff4137d189d0170e8a1838b093f0ae&searchtype=0



Bit too tired to do more searching, not sure why I am but here you go.

 

[RavenOne]

View attachment 694088

View attachment 694089

What proves to us that these images are not false ? Nothing tells us that this shed is not in another place than Ukraine.

Because Ace Aeronautics have the contract for supplying the Ukraine with H-60

cheers

 

[TomS]

View attachment 694088

View attachment 694089

What proves to us that these images are not false ? Nothing tells us that this shed is not in another place than Ukraine.

Because Ace Aeronautics have the contract for supplying the Ukraine with H-60

cheers

Source?

 

[RavenOne]

View attachment 694088

View attachment 694089

What proves to us that these images are not false ? Nothing tells us that this shed is not in another place than Ukraine.

Because Ace Aeronautics have the contract for supplying the Ukraine with H-60

cheers

Source?

The Black Hawk flies in Ukraine!

A photo released by a Ukrainian intelligence service confirms that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have at least one Black Hawk transport helicopter in service.

aircosmosinternational.com

 

[TomS]

View attachment 694088

View attachment 694089

What proves to us that these images are not false ? Nothing tells us that this shed is not in another place than Ukraine.

Because Ace Aeronautics have the contract for supplying the Ukraine with H-60

cheers

Source?

The Black Hawk flies in Ukraine!

A photo released by a Ukrainian intelligence service confirms that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have at least one Black Hawk transport helicopter in service.

aircosmosinternational.com

That's speculation. It's the exact set of info in several links above (The War Zone, Defence Blog, etc.) just started as fact.

 

[yasotay]

View attachment 694088

View attachment 694089

What proves to us that these images are not false ? Nothing tells us that this shed is not in another place than Ukraine.

Because Ace Aeronautics have the contract for supplying the Ukraine with H-60

cheers

Source?

The Black Hawk flies in Ukraine!

A photo released by a Ukrainian intelligence service confirms that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have at least one Black Hawk transport helicopter in service.

aircosmosinternational.com

From the PPRuNe Forum, posted by KiwiNedNZ - "It used to be Ace Aeronautics Hawk that they did all their testing on and was sold privately to the Ukraine." I do know that the company does work with refurbished UH-60. They were responsible for the effort to refurbish the Mi-8 and UH-60 that were to be sent to Afghanistan. As the Mi-8 went to Ukraine, it is possible that they also sold them a UH-60. Still not validation, but fairly compelling to me.

 

[TomS]

From the PPRuNe Forum, posted by KiwiNedNZ - "It used to be Ace Aeronautics Hawk that they did all their testing on and was sold privately to the Ukraine." I do know that the company does work with refurbished UH-60. They were responsible for the effort to refurbish the Mi-8 and UH-60 that were to be sent to Afghanistan. As the Mi-8 went to Ukraine, it is possible that they also sold them a UH-60. Still not validation, but fairly compelling to me.

It absolutely seems likely, and a useful reminder that not all Ukrainian arms acquisitions are government transfers. I just want to be careful of circular reporting -- it's so common these days to take multiple sources repeating the same facts as confirmation, when they're just repeating each other. The PPruNe report here sounds like a separate source but it's so hard to tell these days.

 

[RavenOne]

From the PPRuNe Forum, posted by KiwiNedNZ - "It used to be Ace Aeronautics Hawk that they did all their testing on and was sold privately to the Ukraine." I do know that the company does work with refurbished UH-60. They were responsible for the effort to refurbish the Mi-8 and UH-60 that were to be sent to Afghanistan. As the Mi-8 went to Ukraine, it is possible that they also sold them a UH-60. Still not validation, but fairly compelling to me.

It absolutely seems likely, and a useful reminder that not all Ukrainian arms acquisitions are government transfers. I just want to be careful of circular reporting -- it's so common these days to take multiple sources repeating the same facts as confirmation, when they're just repeating each other. The PPruNe report here sounds like a separate source but it's so hard to tell these days.

I will find out more from the AA booth in Atlanta @Heli Expo next week

cheers

 

[TomS]

I will find out more from the AA booth in Atlanta @Heli Expo next week

Good luck! I'll be surprised if they aren't "no commenting" the whole thing. Decent chance that legally speaking they sold it to a separate company of some sort, who then transferred it to the Government of Ukraine, so Ace will say that they have not transferred any aircraft to Ukraine. Better for business that way.

Edit: Editing to say that the Good Luck is totally sincere. I hope they are willing to comment -- it would be great to have an official confirmation.

 

[Nigelhg]

Since some ex military Blackhawks are in civilian hands this seems very likely- check out heavy diesel on you tube.

View: https://youtu.be/m3P3FWkBFU4

 

[RavenOne]

That's speculation. It's the exact set of info in several links above (The War Zone, Defence Blog, etc.) just started as fact.

Here are my photos of the same Ace Aeronuatics Hawk from Heli Expo 2017, in Dallas which is now with Ukraine



giveaway is also the color scheme for N60FW

cheers

 

[RavenOne]

Since some ex military Blackhawks are in civilian hands this seems very likely- check out heavy diesel on you tube.

View: https://youtu.be/m3P3FWkBF

I have just come back from Anaheim as was at Heli Expo 2024, so here are my photos of Ace Aeronautics Hawk that did turn up (one of five others including LA County Fire Dept Air Ops and Calfire Firehawks)



cheers