The US Army has begun a four-year program to develop an upgrade program for bringing its UH60A BlackHawk helicopters to the UH60L configuration. This will extend the service lives of the airframes by 20 years. The upgrade will include provisions to later add the new 3000hp Common Engine, converting UH60Ls into UH60Ms. The program will first upgrade 906 UH60As to the current UH60L with the T700 engine and a "glass cockpit". Forty will be converted in 2004, 50 in 2005, then 60 per year starting in 2006. After this, the UH60Ls would be upgraded to UH60Ms, which the Army says will be more efficient to fly.--Stephen V Cole