The Sikorsky S-70 is an American medium transport/utility helicopter family manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft . It was developed for the United States Army in the 1970s, winning a competition to be designated the UH-60 Black Hawk and spawning a large family in U.S. military service. New and improved versions of the UH-60 have been developed since. Civilian versions, and some military versions, are produced under various S-70 model designations.
29-581: RBAF may refer to: Royal Brunei Air Force Royal Brunei Armed Forces Royal Bahraini Air Force Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title RBAF . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=RBAF&oldid=793438754 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
58-720: A 600 lb (270 kg) lift capability, and a retractable in-flight refueling probe. The United States Air Force received the MH-60G Pave Hawk in 1982. The United States Coast Guard received the HH-60J Jayhawk in 1992. It utilizes the equipment of the HH-60G Pave Hawk on the navalized SH-60 platform. The S-70A Firehawk is a version of the S-70 designed for firefighting , rescue , medical evacuation , and external lift of bulky cargo and equipment. The Oregon National Guard
87-661: A picture of the controlled airspace over Brunei A Bell 212 operated by the RBAirF crashed in Kuala Belait on 20 July 2012 with the loss of 12 of the 14 crew on board. The cause of the accident has yet to be ascertained. The crash is the worst aviation incident in the history of Brunei . The rank insignia for commissioned officers for the Royal Brunei Air Force. Unlike most Commonwealth armed forces, Brunei has maintained 4 warrant officer ranks, used in conjunction with
116-605: A variety of missions, including air cavalry, electronic warfare, and aeromedical evacuation. Versions are used to transport the President of the United States under call sign " Marine One ". In air assault operations it can move a squad of 11 combat troops and equipment or carry the 105 mm M102 howitzer , thirty rounds of ammunition, and a six-man crew. Alternatively, it can carry 2,600 lb (1,200 kg ) of cargo or sling load 9,000 lb (4,100 kg) of cargo. The S-70
145-546: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Royal Brunei Air Force 24 June 1966 (58 years, 5 months) (as the Air Wing) The Royal Brunei Air Force ( RBAirF ), natively known as the Tentera Udara Diraja Brunei ( TUDB ), is the air force of the sultanate of Brunei . It is headquartered and mainly based at
174-550: Is divided into seven (7) Wings : The Operation Wing consists of four flying wings and three addition units: In 2015, the Commander of the Air Force, Brigadier General Wardi Abdul Latip , stated that the Air force was actively working with Lockheed Martin to purchase a C-130J Super Hercules , with delivery expected in 2018. As of 2024, this plan is yet to materialize. In January 2015,
203-565: Is equipped with advanced avionics and electronics, such as the Global Positioning System . The United States Navy received the first navalized SH-60B Seahawk in 1983, and the SH-60F Ocean Hawk in 1988. The HH-60G Pave Hawk is a highly modified version of the S-70 primarily designed to recover downed aircrew or other isolated personnel during war and equipped with a rescue hoist with a 250 ft (76 m) cable that has
232-594: The Boeing-Vertol YUH-61 A. The YUH-60A was selected for production, and entered service as the UH-60A Black Hawk with the U.S. Army in 1979. After entering service, the helicopter was modified for new missions and roles, including mine laying and medical evacuation. An EH-60 variant was developed to conduct electronic warfare and special operations aviation developed the MH-60 variant to support its missions. In
261-567: The Royal Brunei Air Force Base, Rimba , opposite the Brunei International Airport (BIA). Its role is to defend the national airspace and to provide air policing and surveillance of its land and maritime borders. As of 2024 , it operates twenty-two manned aircraft and five unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). The RBAirF was formed as an independent air force on 1 October 1991. It was originally created in 1965 as
290-624: The White House announced that a deal has been secured by Sikorsky to sell 12 UH-60Ms to the Royal Brunei Air Force. Previous aircraft operated were the Hawker Siddeley HS 748 , Bell 212 , Sikorsky S-55 , MBB Bo 105 , SIAI-Marchetti SF.260 , Piper PA-28 Cherokee , Westland Wessex , and the Westland Whirlwind . The No. 2 Wing operate the P-STAR ground-based radar which provides
319-682: The Air Regiment. A brand-new wing called No. 3 Wing was inaugurated on 27 July 2016. In 2019, the RBAirF unveiled the Digital Disruptive Pattern BDU in digital grey colours at the 58th anniversary celebration at the Bolkiah Garrison . As of 28 August 2020, the commander of the Royal Brunei Air Force is Brigadier General (U) Dato Seri Pahlawan Mohd Sharif bin Dato Paduka Haji Ibrahim. Following an order made in 2020,
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#1732851180360348-716: The Air Wing of the Royal Brunei Malay Regiment ( Askar Melayu Diraja Brunei ; AMDB), the forerunner of today's Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF). The Air Wing had operated helicopters (the Bell 205 ) since 1966. The annual anniversary ceremony of RBAirF's inception was place on 24 June every year. The Royal Brunei Air Force was established as the Air Wing of the Royal Brunei Malay Regiment (RBMR) in 1965. It
377-807: The Armed Forces of the Philippines modernization efforts, the Department of National Defense signed a contract with PZL-Mielec for 16 S-70i variant of Black Hawk helicopters worth US$ 241.4 million in March 2019. This to further replace the Philippine Air Force's aging fleet of UH-1 Huey helicopters. The first six units were delivered in November 2020 while the second five units were delivered in June 2021. The final five units of
406-607: The RBAirF acquired five Boeing Insitu RQ-21 Blackjack unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) from the United States in 2021. They will be used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) around Brunei's territorial waters in the South China Sea . The first was unveiled by the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah , an event held in June 2021 to mark the 60th anniversary of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces . A parade
435-471: The RBAirF transferred four of its S-70A Black Hawk ’s to the Royal Malaysian Air Force . In 2014, eight Bell 212 helicopters were retired and decommissioned from service. During Royal Brunei Armed Forces diamond jubilee celebration in 2021, an unmanned aerial system (UAS) programme was launched by the Sultan of Brunei, and a RQ-21 Blackjack model was unveiled by a US company, Insitu to
464-641: The RBAirF's Bölkow BO105 fleet was held at the AMC within the Air Force Base, Rimba, on 5 February 2022 . First introduced as a fleet of six helicopters into No. 2 Squadron, Air Wing in 1981 , administered and maintained by the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) from the UK until 1993, this ended 41 years' service of the type as latterly operated by No. 1 Wing, Operations Group. The Royal Brunei Air Force
493-517: The S-70 for special operations by the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment ("Night Stalkers") at Fort Campbell, Kentucky , designated as the MH-60K. The Maple Hawk was a variant offered by Sikorsky to the Canadian Forces during a 1996 tender to replace the military's search and rescue helicopters. On 5 August 2010, to support its counter-narcotics and armed forces modernisation efforts,
522-468: The Sultan. This UAS will be used for maritime security surveillance role. The newly acquired M134D Minigun will be expected to be integrated into the RBAirF later in 2022. Armaments for the aircraft consist of M134 Minigun 's, FZ rockets and unguided air-to-surface SURA rockets . There have been plans to secure fighter capability by purchasing several BAE Hawk aircraft, but these plans have been delayed on several occasions. In November 2011,
551-596: The US DSCA approved the Colombian government's request of additional 9 UH-60L (4 units allocated to the national police force). In 2017 March, the National Police of Colombia ordered 10 additional 2nd-hand UH-60A helicopters that will increase their total to 19 helicopters in operation. In 2018, Poland sign agreement to buy S-70i for Police aviation, to replace Mi-2 reaching the end of their safe flying life. As part of
580-461: The first batch were delivered in December 2021. During a nighttime training mission, one unit of the new S-70i Black Hawk crashed killing all six crew on board. In response, the Philippine Air Force grounded the entire fleet until the investigation has been completed. The Armed Forces of the Philippines later on said that "Based on the investigating team’s report, no single factor can be determined as
609-613: The late 1980s the model was upgraded to the UH-60L, which featured more power and lift with the upgrade to the -701C model of the GE T700 engine. The improved UH-60M model was developed in the early 2000s. The UH-60M and its International version, the S-70i, include GPS navigation, a glass cockpit, an integrated Flight Management System, and a significant upgrade to the powertrain and rotor system adding both power and lift capability. The S-70 can perform
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#1732851180360638-418: The only cause of these mishaps." On 22 February 2022, the Department of National Defense signed another contract with PZL-Mielec for an additional 32 S-70i Black Hawks worth US$ 624 million which included an integrated logistics support and training package for pilots and maintenance crew. With the latest contract with PZL-Mielec, the Philippines is set to become the largest operator of the S-70i variant of
667-559: The standard Commonwealth NCO and enlisted personnel and ratings ranks. The following are the rank insignia for enlisted personnel for the Royal Brunei Air Force. Sikorsky S-70 The S-70 family was developed to meet a United States Army requirement to replace the UH-1 Iroquois family of utility medium-lift helicopters in 1972. Three YUH-60A prototypes were constructed, with the first flying in October 1974. They were evaluated against
696-580: Was equipped with a CN-235 fixed-wing aeroplane and the Base Defence Squadron. In the same year, 3 Squadron received the Pilatus PC-7 Mk.II training aircraft. No. 38 Squadron was established in 1999, and is equipped with the Mistral surface-to-air missile, following acquisition of its Mistral System. In the same year, Airfield Ground Defence was transferred from the RBAirF's Administration Wing to
725-565: Was established in 1980. In 1981, No. 2 Squadron was established and equipped with six Bölkow BO105 helicopters. No. 3 Squadron was established in 1982 and equipped with SIAI-Marchetti SF260s . On 1 September 1983, the No. 2 Wing was founded at what was previously the Air Defence Battery. When Brunei assumed responsibility for its own defence from the United Kingdom in 1984, the Air Wing
754-538: Was expanded. On 1 October 1991, with the consent of The Sultan , the Air Wing was officially renamed the Royal Brunei Air Force . The Air Defence Battery was transferred to the Royal Brunei Air Force on 24 March 1995, and given the new name Air Defence Squadron. No. 4 Squadron was established in 1997, and was equipped with the Blackhawk S-70A helicopters. No. 5 Squadron was also established in 1997, and
783-632: Was first tasked to fly doctors to rural area with two Sikorsky S-55 aircraft, which was operated by pilots from the Worldwide Helicopter Company. In 1966, the tasks were taken over by three British pilots from the Royal Air Force (RAF) operating three RAF Westland Whirlwind helicopters. In 1967, the unit was renamed as the Helicopter Platoon, and received five Bell 206 Jet Ranger helicopters. The Air Technical Training School
812-818: Was held at the Air Movement Centre (AMC) in celebration of the 55th anniversary on 25 June 2021 . Of note was the introduction of Integrator into the RBAirF, a drone unmanned aerial system (UAS). In collaboration with the Philippine Air Force (PAF) on 3 December 2021, pilots from the Philippines will carry out their training with the S-70i Blackhawk flight simulator at the Canadian Aviation Electronics (CAE) Brunei Multi-Purpose Training Centre (BMPTC). The decommissioning ceremony of
841-604: Was the first military organization in the world to add the Firehawk to its inventory; the Los Angeles County Fire Department was the first municipal organization. Another Firehawk aerial firefighting operator is the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) with the S-70i variant. The Army flies medical evacuation models configured as rotary winged medical suites. It also uses
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