UH-60M Patient Handling System

The U.S. Army requires a new Patient Handling System for the UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter to meet its end strength goal of 446 MEDEVAC aircraft, as current capabilities are undermined by the declining HH-60M fleet, the cancellation of the UH-60V program, and the retirement of the UH-60L MEDVAC variant. The UH-60M’s internal cabin structure differs significantly from the HH-60M, making existing systems incompatible and necessitating a completely new technological solution that does not yet exist. This contract seeks to develop and deliver an all-new Patient Handling System tailored specifically to the UH-60M platform to restore and sustain critical medical evacuation capacity across the Army’s rotorcraft fleet. The solicitation, designated ARM26BX04-DV009, is a total small business set-aside under the SBIR/STTR program, reserved exclusively for small businesses with fewer than 500 employees. It was posted on July 1, 2026, and responses are due by July 22, 2026, with the award to be managed by the United States Army under the Department of Defense. The system must enable full MEDEVAC operational capability on the UH-60M, including the safe transport of litters, medical personnel, and equipment, while integrating seamlessly with the aircraft’s unique cabin configuration. Failure to deliver this capability will directly impact the Army’s ability to fulfill its battlefield medical evacuation mission requirements.