# Blackhawk Product Improvement Program — Program Element 0607136A

**Program element:** 0607136A  
**Component:** U.S. Army  
**Appropriation:** 2040 — RDT&E, Army  
**Budget Activity:** 7 — Operational System Development  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0607136A

## Summary

U.S. Army funding falls 72% to a $35.1M request in FY2027, sustained across the five-year plan. In the FY2027 defense authorization, the House funded it in full; the Senate funded it in full; House appropriators added 341% (to $155.1M). Sikorsky leads the industry work.

## Funding profile

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 124.0 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 124.0 |
| FY2027 | Request | 35.1 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 47.2 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 53.1 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 53.2 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 53.7 |

> Estimate types are not summed — the profile mixes actuals, enacted law, the request, and outyear projections.

## Congressional marks (FY2027)

| Stage | Marked ($M) | Change ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| Request | 35.1 | — |
| House NDAA (HASC) | 35.1 | +0.0 |
| Senate NDAA (SASC) | 35.1 | +0.0 |
| House Approps (HAC-D) | 155.1 | +120.0 |

> FY2027 NDAA authorization marks, as of 2026-07-27. Not appropriations or final law.

## Projects (1)

| Project | Title | FY2025 actual | FY2026 enacted | FY2027 request | Move |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ES3 | Blackhawk Product Improvement Program | 124.0 | 124.0 | 35.1 | −72% |

> Projects are the summable leaves: the program element total is their sum, never added to it.

### Project ES3 — Blackhawk Product Improvement Program

FY 2027 Base dollars will go to designing and engineering digital backbone and will support rapid integration of future capabilities that align with Future Vertical Lift (FVL) Family of Systems (FoS), as well as airframe enhancements aligned with Launched Effects (LE). Utility Helicopter Project Office (UHPO) will continue to work the development of the Scalable Digital Backbone with focus on the open standard hardware and software components supporting the modularity, portability, and commonality required to meet U.S. Army Modular Open Systems Approaches (MOSA) objectives. In conjunction, UHPO will also continue work on the Airframe Enhancements and will perform a sensitivity analysis, design, and qualify the necessary enhancements to support incorporation of the Launched Effects (LE) capability onto the UH-60 platform.

**Named R-3 performers** (share of this project's FY2027 R-3 total, so they need not reach 100%)**:** Sikorsky (34.1, 97%), PEO Aviation (1.0, 3.0%).

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Programmatic Support | 2.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| Digital Backbone | 5.8 | 9.8 | 19.9 |
| Airframe Enhancements For Launched Effects Development/NRE | 16.3 | 13.1 | 14.2 |

> R-2A activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan. Coverage is partial, so count them, never total them.

## Where the FY2027 request goes

| Category | Share | $M |
|---|---|---|
| Industry primes | 100% | 35.1 |

**Top named industry performers:** Sikorsky ($34.1M, 97%), PEO Aviation ($1.0M, 3.0%).

> R-3 exhibit contract funding, not USAspending obligations.

## Mission & acquisition strategy

FY 2027 Base dollars will go to designing and engineering digital backbone and will support rapid integration of future capabilities that align with Future Vertical Lift (FVL) Family of Systems (FoS), as well as airframe enhancements aligned with Launched Effects (LE). Utility Helicopter Project Office (UHPO) will continue to work the development of the Scalable Digital Backbone with focus on the open standard hardware and software components supporting the modularity, portability, and commonality required to meet U.S. Army Modular Open Systems Approaches (MOSA) objectives.

Digital Backbone and Airframe Enhancements for Launched Effects development/Non-Recurring Engineering (NRE) will be developed and qualified through an Engineering Services contract with Lockheed Martin/Sikorsky (Prime Contractor) located in Stratford, Connecticut. Main Rotor Blade Modernization - Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas utilizing the Aviation and Missile Technology Consortium (AMTC) Other Transaction Authority (OTA) contract vehicle. Blade Integrity - Work is anticipated to be conducted in Locust, North Carolina utilizing the Aviation and Missile Technology Consortium (AMTC) Other Transaction Authority (OTA) contract vehicle.

## Related program elements

- [0607139A — Improved Turbine Engine Program](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0607139A) (Army)
- [0605602A — Army Technical Test Instrumentation and Targets](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0605602A) (Army)
- [0702207N — Depot Maintenance (NON-IF)](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0702207N) (Navy)
- [0401318F — CV-22 Rdt&e POST Production](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0401318F) (Air Force)

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Army RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-3, PE 0607136A (PB PB2027); FY2027 NDAA committee marks (as of 2026-07-27).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="0607136A")`.

*HitchAI is an independent intelligence service, not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Defense. Budget figures are requests/estimates, not obligations.*