NATIONAL GUARD ASSOCIATION OF ILLINOIS

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RESOLUTION IL-05

UH-60L/M BLACKHAWK MODERNIZATION

BACKGROUND

The Army National Guard is a significant component of the United States Army. The Army is currently implementing an Army Aviation Transformation Plan (AATP). This plan identifies requirements for 783 UH-60L/M Blackhawks (543 utility, 180 medevac and 60 unresourced medevac) for the Army National Guard. As part of this plan, the Army will cascade 120 H60s to the National Guard by the end of FY2002. At the end of FY2002, the Army National Guard's H60 inventory will grow to 630, leaving a shortfall of 157. Current procurement plans will procure additional H60s from FY2003 to FY2007 which will enable the inventory to grow to 660, leaving an FY2007 shortfall of 123. In fact, at the current procurement pace, the Army National Guard utility helicopter fleet will not be fully modernized until FY2020.

The terrorist attacks of Sep 11, 2001 have placed a higher priority on the Army National Guard's need to modernize their utility helicopter fleet sooner than the Army's current procurement plans. Emerging missions for homeland defense and border security will require increased reliance in Army Guard aviation assets.

RECOMMENDATION

It is the recommendation of the National Guard Association of Illinois that the National Guard Bureau, the Department of the Army, the Department of Defense, and the Congress of the United States, support a multi-year procurement program to enable procurement of 20 UH-60L/M Blackhawks per year until UH-60 Blackhawk requirements for the Army National Guard are fulfilled.