The Army’s fleet of UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters will be able to launch drones while in flight next year, thanks to a modernization contract with manufacturer Sikorsky announced Wednesday.

The $43 million deal will include software and hardware upgrades that will allow Army air crews to simultaneously operate drones, part of a larger push toward so-called “ launched effects ,” one of the cornerstones of the Army Transformation Initiative .

“Sikorsky is ready to implement new technologies that will strengthen the combat-proven Black Hawk helicopter and give U.S. Army soldiers greater advantage in areas like the Indo-Pacific,” said Hamid Salim, Sikorsky’s vice president of Army and Air Force Systems, said in a release.

The contract also includes upgrades to the airframe itself.

“Wit

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