Aeronaves y UAV

AH-60L Arpia

Also known as
  • AH-60
  • Arpia
  • Arpia I
  • Arpia II
  • Arpia III
  • Arpia IV
  • UH-60L Arpia
  • Helicoptero Black Hawk armado

El AH-60L Arpia es la familia colombiana de conversiones armadas del Black Hawk, desarrollada alrededor de celulas UH-60L y relacionadas para misiones de ataque, escolta, reconocimiento y apoyo aereo cercano. Informes de la Fuerza Aerea Colombiana remontan la primera mision de combate Arpia a enero de 1996 cerca de Urrao, mientras que las modernizaciones posteriores Arpia IV agregaron sensores modernos, ayudas de presentacion en casco, lanzadores de cohetes de 70 mm, ametralladoras GAU-19 y misiles aire-tierra de la familia Spike.

AH-60L Arpia, Helicoptero utilitario armado / de ataque, Aeronaves y UAV
Image source: Colombian Air Force Sikorsky AH-60L Arpia III Ramirez.jpg

Role in Conflicts

1964 Colombian Armed Conflict
Fire Support

Los Black Hawk armados Arpia de la Fuerza Aerea Colombiana fueron usados por fuerzas gubernamentales en misiones de ataque y apoyo aereo cercano dentro del conflicto interno de Colombia, incluida la primera mision Arpia en apoyo de tropas del Ejercito contra fuerzas de las FARC cerca de Urrao, Antioquia, el 30 de enero de 1996.

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Colombia
Type
Helicoptero utilitario armado / de ataque
Service note
1988-presente; programa de conversion Arpia I-IV
Designer
Fuerza Aerea Colombiana
Designed
1995
Produced
Las entregas colombianas de Black Hawk comenzaron en 1988; el trabajo de conversion Arpia se remonta a 1995, con modernizaciones Arpia II, III y IV en fases posteriores del programa
Developed from
UH-60L Black Hawk

Specifications

Tripulacion
1 piloto, 1 copiloto y 1 tecnico de vuelo en la ficha informativa del AH-60 IV
Planta motriz
Dos motores General Electric T700-GE-701C con potencia nominal de 1,940 shp cada uno
Velocidad maxima
160 kt
Alcance
180 nm
Techo de servicio
18,000 ft
Autonomia
2 h 30 min
Peso maximo
22,000 lb
Carga util
9,312 lb
Armamento
La ficha informativa del AH-60 IV enumera dos lanzadores de cohetes M-261, cuatro ametralladoras GAU-19 y misiles aire-tierra de la familia Spike; los informes sobre el Arpia IV tambien describen lanzadores de cohetes LAU-19 de 70 mm y opciones Spike LR/ER/NLOS
Celula base
UH-60L y celulas relacionadas de la familia Black Hawk
Perfil de mision
Ataque, escolta aerea, reconocimiento armado y apoyo aereo cercano
Sensores y avionica del Arpia IV
Enlace de datos, sistema de punteria electro-optico/FLIR Rafael Toplite 3 y presentacion para piloto Elbit ANVIS/HUD-24
Variants

La secuencia Arpia describe estandares colombianos de conversion del Black Hawk armado, no variantes Sikorsky nuevas de fabrica.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
Arpia IConversion armada inicial del UH-60

Los informes de la FAC situan la primera mision del Arpia en enero de 1996, despues de que la Fuerza Aerea Colombiana adaptara el UH-60 como plataforma de ataque rapido durante el conflicto interno.

Sources: Black Hawk la aeronave que escribio su historia en Colombia

Arpia IISegundo estandar de conversion armada

Helis enumera cinco aeronaves UH-60L Arpia II recibidas en 1995 como parte de la linea Black Hawk de la Fuerza Aerea Colombiana.

Sources: Black Hawk in Fuerza Aerea Colombiana

Arpia IIIEstandar AH-60L Black Hawk armado

Helis enumera 11 aeronaves AH-60L Arpia III en 2000/1, y la galeria actual documenta celulas Arpia III de la Fuerza Aerea Colombiana.

Sources: Black Hawk in Fuerza Aerea Colombiana, Colombian Air Force Sikorsky AH-60L Arpia III Ramirez.jpg

Arpia IVConfiguracion de ataque modernizada

Informes de la FAC y de Infodefensa describen el Arpia IV como la configuracion de ataque posterior con Toplite 3, ANVIS/HUD-24, enlace de datos, lanzadores de cohetes de 70 mm, ametralladoras GAU-19 y misiles de la familia Spike.

Sources: Fuerza Aerea Colombiana tiene listo ya su octavo helicoptero Arpia IV, AH-60 fact sheet

Carried Munitions

The AH-60 IV fact sheet lists four GAU-19 machine guns among the helicopter's armament.

Carried itemItem typeCarriage evidence
GAU-19 machine gun, .50 caliber rotary heavy machine gun, Infantry WeaponsGAU-19 machine gunMachine gun

The AH-60 IV fact sheet lists four GAU-19 machine guns among the helicopter's armament.

Sources: AH-60 fact sheet

SPIKE anti-tank guided-missile family, Anti-tank guided missile family, Infantry WeaponsSPIKE anti-tank guided-missile familyFamilia de ATGM

La ficha informativa del AH-60 IV de la Fuerza Aerea Colombiana enumera misiles aire-tierra Spike entre el armamento del helicoptero, y la pagina SPIKE NLOS de Rafael muestra un helicoptero Arpia montado con misiles EO de alcance extendido Spike NLOS.

Carried Munitions

The AH-60 IV fact sheet also lists two M-261 rocket launchers among the helicopter's armament.

Carried itemItem typeCarriage evidence
M261 lightweight launcher, 19-round 70 mm rocket launcher, Support EquipmentM261 lightweight launcher70 mm rocket launcher

The AH-60 IV fact sheet lists two M-261 rocket launchers among the helicopter's armament.

Sources: AH-60 fact sheet

SPIKE anti-tank guided-missile family, Anti-tank guided missile family, Infantry WeaponsSPIKE anti-tank guided-missile familyFamilia de ATGM

La ficha informativa del AH-60 IV de la Fuerza Aerea Colombiana enumera misiles aire-tierra Spike entre el armamento del helicoptero, y la pagina SPIKE NLOS de Rafael muestra un helicoptero Arpia montado con misiles EO de alcance extendido Spike NLOS.

Carried Munitions
Carried itemItem typeCarriage evidence
SPIKE anti-tank guided-missile family, Anti-tank guided missile family, Infantry WeaponsSPIKE anti-tank guided-missile familyFamilia de ATGM

La ficha informativa del AH-60 IV de la Fuerza Aerea Colombiana enumera misiles aire-tierra Spike entre el armamento del helicoptero, y la pagina SPIKE NLOS de Rafael muestra un helicoptero Arpia montado con misiles EO de alcance extendido Spike NLOS.

Sources: AH-60 fact sheet, Rafael SPIKE NLOS

Timeline

AH-60L Arpia Key Events

  1. Primeras entregas colombianas de Black Hawk

    Helis informa que la Fuerza Aerea Colombiana recibio 10 helicopteros UH-60A Arpia I en 1988, iniciando la linea colombiana Black Hawk.

    Sources: Black Hawk in Fuerza Aerea Colombiana

  2. Primera mision Arpia

    Informes de la Fuerza Aeroespacial Colombiana dicen que la primera mision Arpia fue una operacion de apoyo cercano el 30 de enero de 1996 durante combates alrededor de Urrao, Antioquia.

    Sources: Black Hawk la aeronave que escribio su historia en Colombia

  3. Arpia III entra en la flota

    Helis enumera 11 aeronaves AH-60L Arpia III entregadas en 2000/1, lo que marca el paso de la familia al estandar posterior de Black Hawk armado.

    Sources: Black Hawk in Fuerza Aerea Colombiana

  4. Se divulga la modernizacion Arpia IV

    Informes de la FAC describieron el Arpia IV como la configuracion de ataque mas reciente y dijeron que el programa habia llegado a su octavo helicoptero Arpia IV para noviembre de 2017.

    Sources: Fuerza Aerea Colombiana tiene listo ya su octavo helicoptero Arpia IV

Media

AH-60L Arpia Videos

AH-60L Arpia Images

AH-60L Arpia, Helicoptero utilitario armado / de ataque, Aeronaves y UAV - view 1
Source: Colombian Air Force Sikorsky UH-60L Arpia III Ramrez-1.jpg
AH-60L Arpia, Helicoptero utilitario armado / de ataque, Aeronaves y UAV - view 2
Source: AH-60L Arpia III FAC4129 5174258254.jpg
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Sources

Armed BLACK HAWK HelicopterPublisher: Lockheed Martin | Note: Supports general armed Black Hawk background and the modular armed-kit concept for the Black Hawk family, including the six-station weapons management suite. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Black Hawk la aeronave que escribio su historia en ColombiaPublisher: Fuerza Aeroespacial Colombiana | Note: Supports used by Colombian government forces in the 1964 Colombian Armed Conflict: FAC says the Arpia was developed because of Colombia's internal conflict and gives the first Arpia mission on 30 January 1996 as air support to Army troops trying to prevent FARC Front 34 from taking Urrao, Antioquia. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Fuerza Aerea Colombiana tiene listo ya su octavo helicoptero Arpia IVPublisher: Fuerza Aeroespacial Colombiana | Note: Supports Arpia IV armament, including Spike missiles and LAU-19 70 mm rocket launchers, and the late-2010s modernization milestone. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Black Hawk in Fuerza Aerea ColombianaPublisher: Helis.com | Note: Supports the Colombian Air Force Black Hawk chronology, including Arpia I, II, and III batch history. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Colombian Air Force Sikorsky AH-60L Arpia III Ramirez.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and licensing context for the primary Arpia III image. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Colombian Air Force Sikorsky UH-60L Arpia III Ramrez-1.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and licensing context for the second Arpia III gallery image. | Accessed: 2026-07-04AH-60L Arpia III FAC4129 5174258254.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and licensing context for the third Arpia III gallery image. | Accessed: 2026-07-04AH-60 fact sheetPublisher: Fuerza Aeroespacial Colombiana | Note: Supports AH-60 IV THOR mission, Sikorsky base-airframe manufacturer attribution, powerplant, performance figures, crew, useful load, and listed armament of M261 launchers, GAU-19 machine guns, and Spike family air-to-ground missiles. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Rafael SPIKE NLOSPublisher: Rafael Advanced Defense Systems | Note: Supports published Arpia helicopter carriage of Spike NLOS missiles. | Accessed: 2026-07-04