Gov’t signs intention to purchase 35 Black Hawk helicopters

The government has signed a letter of offer and acceptance formalizing its intention to procure 35 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters from Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, through an intergovernmental agreement with the US.

“The latest generation UH-60M Black Hawk will support the Hellenic Ministry of Defense’s ongoing modernization and will serve as a dependable helicopter for vital national and allied security missions,” said Sikorsky president Paul Lemmo.

“Trusted and operated by more than 35 nations, including a growing number of NATO allies, the multi-role Black Hawk helicopter provides unmatched global interoperability, significantly increasing Greece’s deterrent capability and that of all NATO member countries,” he said.

In addition to the aircraft, the procurement also includes personnel training and training equipment to ensure the helicopters’ smooth integration into the Hellenic Army.

“We are honored to expand our existing partnership with the Hellenic Armed Forces with the addition of the UH-60M Black Hawk to their growing fleet,” said Costas Papadopoulos, international business development director for Greece at Lockheed Martin.

“The Black Hawk is the best solution for Greece’s multi-mission requirements with capabilities enhancing the nation’s effectiveness in the 21st-century security battlespace,” he stressed.

With its existing S-70B fleet and newly acquired MH-60R maritime helicopters for the Grek Navy, Greece will operate several variants of the Hawk family and benefit from the operational and sustainment advantages of fleet commonality, Lockheed Martin said.

According to the company’s announcement, as the world’s premier multi-role utility helicopter with 5 million combat hours, the Black Hawk will offer Greece a range of operational capabilities and a global ecosystem of more than 5,000 Hawk aircraft.

The UH-60M/S-70M Black Hawk is the aircraft of choice for replacing legacy medium-lift utility helicopter fleets, with flexibility to conduct variety of missions at greater ranges and in the most challenging environments, and with increased survivability over other aircraft, according to Lockheed Martin.