Greece continues helicopter modernisation with UH-60M purchase

Greece has signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) for the procurement of 35 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters from Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company.

The US State Department approved Greece’s acquisition of 35 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters from Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky company for $1.95bn in December 2023. The proposed sale will replace Greece’s current fleet of 60 OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters. 

Paul Lemmo, president of Sikorsky, emphasised the significance of the latest generation UH-60M Black Hawk in supporting Greece’s ongoing modernisation efforts. “The latest generation UH-60M Black Hawk will support the Hellenic Ministry of Defense’s ongoing modernisation and will serve as a dependable helicopter for vital national and allied security missions. 

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.”

Australia, Albania, Latvia, and Croatia are other countries that have recently procured the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter.

The procurement package includes the acquisition of the helicopters and encompasses personnel training and training equipment, ensuring easy integration into the Hellenic Army. 

Costas Papadopoulos, international business development director for Greece at Lockheed Martin, highlighted the Black Hawk’s suitability for fulfilling Greece’s multi-mission requirements, “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.”

With the addition of the UH-60M Black Hawk to its existing fleet, Greece will benefit from fleet commonality, leveraging operational and sustainment advantages across various Hawk variants. The synergy between the newly acquired Black Hawks, the existing S-70B fleet, and MH-60R maritime helicopters for the Hellenic Navy will further enhance Greece’s operational capabilities and readiness to address diverse security challenges.

As a multi-role utility helicopter with over 5 million combat hours, the Black Hawk offers Greece a range of operational capabilities, enabling missions at greater ranges and in challenging environments. Its survivability and adaptability make it the aircraft of choice for replacing legacy medium-lift utility helicopter fleets.