Ukraine shows off US-made Black Hawk copter in drills — video
Ukraine shows off US-made Black Hawk copter in drills (Photo:ГУР)
Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) fighters have mastered the famous American Black Hawk helicopter for combat operations, including inside “enemy territory,” according to a video published by HUR on April 16.
The helicopter training was recently organized at the front line. Special forces drilled landing combat units in a battlefield, evacuation, use of landing cables, and night flights.
The Black Hawk is technically far ahead of its Soviet-era equivalents, the Mi-8 and the Mi-24, the fighters said. The crews mastered the superior aircraft in a matter of hours.
"Our pilots' level has improved tremendously in the past year. Ukraine can now easily handle about a hundred Blackhawk multipurpose helicopters, about 50 Apache attack helicopters, and about 40-60 Chinook cargo helicopters. These numbers require minimal retraining of our pilots," said the helicopter's Captain, nom de guerre 'Maestro.'
The Black Hawk is far more manoeuvrable than the Mi-8 and can stay airborne for three hours, covering over a 600 km range.
Helicopters of this type are capable of launching Hellfire guided and unguided missiles, supporting infantry troops, and carrying various types of cargo. The helicopter needs only 3-4 seconds to land a unit of twelve fighters and evacuate another unit from the battlefield, the message reads.
It is the only Black Hawk deployed in Ukraine, media reported.
The United States and other allies haven't reported the supply of the legendary UH-60A Black Hawk to Ukraine.
The HUR, however, released on Feb. 21 a news story showing reconnaissance pilots "returning from another combat mission." The pictures showed a unit against the backdrop of a Black Hawk helicopter with Ukrainian markings. It could be a modification of the S-70i Black Hawk helicopter, the Polish portal Defence24 said.
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