Unitech Composites delivers lightweight, next-generation weapons pylon for U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopters

HAYDEN, Idaho. Unitech Composites, a Unitech Aerospace company and supplier of complex composite laminates, components, and assemblies for the commercial aerospace and defense industry, has delivered the first production shipset of Multi-Station Lightweight Armament Support Structure (MLASS) wings for U.S. Army MH-60M military helicopter, a highly specialized variant of the Sikorsky S-60 rotary-wing aircraft.

Unitech’s MLASS is a lightweight, corrosion-resistant direct replacement for the External Stores Support System (ESSS). MLASS and LASS weapons stores interface with standard military bomb ejector racks and support a variety of weapons configurations, including the M230 30mm cannon, M261 rocket launcher, and M299 missile launcher.

A fully configured set of MLASS wings is 270 pounds lighter, have better center of gravity and drag characteristics, and are quicker and easier to install than a set of standard ESSS wings, officials say.

“Thanks to MLASS, our nation’s warfighters no longer have to choose between having more fuel or having more ammo – they can have both,” says Dan Kinney, military programs business development manager for Unitech Composites. “It enables the venerable Black Hawk to be a true multi-role aircraft, which we think will resonate well with many UH-60 operators.”

It is the first of nine shipsets that will be delivered to the U.S. Army Special Operations Forces Support Activity (SOFSA). The U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF) already deploy Unitech’s Lightweight Armament Support Structure (LASS), a single-station weapons pylon for the MH-60.

Unitech currently offers LASS and MLASS as off-the-shelf solutions for UH-60A/L/M Black Hawk models as well as S-70 aircraft to U.S. and international customers. Additionally, the company is skilled at converting components and systems to composites and works with customers to develop customized solutions that greatly enhance aircraft capability and performance, officials say.

Search the Aerospace & Defense Buyer's Guide

Intelligent Aerospace, the global aerospace technology network, reports on the latest tools, technologies, and trends of vital importance to aerospace professionals throughout the industry and around the globe, including engineers, engineering managers, and other key decision-makers involved in the research & development, design, test, manufacture, maintenance, upgrade and retrofit, management, and acquisition of electronics hardware and software components, tools, and systems for commercial and military fixed-wing, rotor-wing, and unmanned aircraft, air traffic control, airport operations, satellites, and space.