Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk

The successor to the legendary Bell UH-1 "Huey," the Sikorsky UH-60, christened the Black Hawk, first flew in 1974, and has since become one of the most versatile and successful utility helicopters currently in service. It has been used widely, from the invasion of Grenada to the ongoing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. An attack helicopter configured with missiles, rockets, machine guns and cannon, the Black Hawk also undertakes a wide range of missions on the battlefield, including troop transport, command and control, and medical evacuation. The design, development and deployment of this ubiquitous helicopter is explored here, complemented by full-color digital artwork and vibrant color photographs.

The successor to the Vietnam-veteran Bell UH-1 "Huey", the Sikorsky UH-60 first flew in 1974 and was christened the Black Hawk. It has become one of the most versatile and successful utility helicopters ever in service and has been used widely, from the invasion of Grenada to the conflict in Somalia and the ongoing Operation Iraqi Freedom.

An attack helicopter configured with missiles, rockets, machine guns and cannon the Black Hawk is also capable of undertaking a wide range of missions on the battlefield, including troop transport, command and control and aeromedical evacuation.

Although the Black Hawk is most recently associated with the disaster in Mogadishu, this book looks past Hollywood interpretations to investigate the design, development and operations of arguably the most important helicopter in the world today, with fantastic full-color digital artwork and up-to-date information about the BlackHawk's role in Iraq. Also examined are the more unconventional missions the BlackHawk has been used in, from drug-busting operations in South America to peace-keeping operations around the world.

Chris Bishop has worked in packaging and book publishing since the early 1980s. Amongst his many projects are the Illustrated History of the Vietnam War and Vietnam Airwar Debrief. The author lives in London, UK.

Ian Palmer is a highly experienced digital artist. A graduate in 3D design, he currently works as a senior artist for a leading UK games developer. Besides his artistic interests he is also a keen musician and motorcyclist. He lives in West London with his wife and three cats.