Lockheed Martin Australia has expanded its Black Hawk helicopter sustainment industrial base to more than 200 employees across Holsworthy, Brisbane and Oakey, supporting what the company says is an effort to maximise availability of the Australian Army’s UH-60M fleet.
In a media release, the company said its workforce is providing through-life sustainment support for the aircraft as the Army’s industry partner for integrated support services. Since the Australian Army reached initial operating capability for the UH-60M Black Hawk in 2024, the fleet has grown to 19 aircraft and has now surpassed 5,000 flying hours.
Lockheed Martin Australia’s Program Director and General Manager Rotary and Mission Systems, Kendell Kuczma, said the company recognised the operational tempo of the aircraft in service.
“I commend the Australian Army on consistently delivering a high rate of effort for its UH-60M Black Hawk program,” Kuczma said.
He added that the company’s focus is on sustainment outcomes for the Army. “Lockheed Martin Australia is proud to be an integral partner of the Black Hawk sustainment enterprise. Our priority is to provide dependable, rapid, and cost-effective sustainment support to the Australian Army to ensure the aircraft is ready when Army needs it,” he said.
The media release also noted logistics activity in Sydney, where Black Hawk logisticians have processed more than 75,000 service transactions at the program’s logistics warehouse. In Oakey, training specialists are working with the Army to qualify and upskill pilots and aviation crew, with training courses increasing alongside fleet growth.
Lockheed Martin Australia’s Black Hawk Program Manager, Rodahn Gibbon, said the expansion reflects growing sustainment requirements across the program.
“We are proud to have delivered more than 200 jobs supporting industrial sustainment capability for the Black Hawk program,” Gibbon said. “Our team on the ground derive a real sense of purpose from contributing to the integrated sustainment effort across all three sites.”
Gibbon also indicated further growth is expected, encouraging interested applicants to consider opportunities within the program. “Further job growth is anticipated across the program. I encourage maintenance engineers, logisticians, and aviation specialists to visit our careers site to learn about the exciting careers available for Black Hawk helicopters,” he said.
On a broader level, the company noted that Sikorsky is pursuing modernisation efforts for the Black Hawk platform intended to support future operations into the 2070s, including autonomous systems, airframe enhancements and a digital backbone designed to enable rapid integration of unmanned aerial systems for allied partners.
