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Hellenic Army - UH-60M Black Hawk

The purchase of 49 American UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters for the Greek Army and Air Force is being actively promoted by the General Staff of National Defense. This is another major outfitting program with a budget of around 1.7 billion euros. According to the military affairs website OnAlert.gr, the General Directorate of Defense Equipment and Investment (GDAEE) sent, along with a letter (LOR), a formal request of interest to the United States government for the supply of 35 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters worth 1.2 billion euros. The 31 helicopters are intended for the needs of the Army, while the remaining 4 will be allocated to the Directorate of Special Warfare (DEP) . Also, in the following days, an order has been given by the political and military leadership of the ministry to GDAEE to formulate a second official request with the LOR mission which will concern the acquisition of 14 helicopters for the Air Force.

On 29 October 29 the U.S. Government awarded Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company (NYSE: LMT), a Foreign Military Sale contract to provide 35 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters to Greece. The $1.95 Billion deal includes 35 aircraft for the Hellenic Army as well as personnel training, training equipment and an initial provisioning package, which will significantly improve self-defense and bolster interoperability within the nation and with NATO allies. These new Black Hawks will phase out the aging Bell UH-1 Iroquois fleet currently operated by the Greek Land Forces.

“Our partnership with Greece spans decades, and we are pleased to see the nation’s continued trust in Sikorsky helicopters as Greece will benefit from an integrated Hawk family of aircraft supporting national security and humanitarian missions,” said Hamid Salim, Sikorsky vice president of Army and Air Force Systems. “The Black Hawk helicopter offers Greece a range of operational capabilities and a global ecosystem of more than 5,000 Hawk aircraft operated by 36 countries around the world.

“The newly contracted UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters are an additional testament for the long-standing relationship Lockheed Martin shares with Greece, its Armed Forces and defense industries for over 80 years,” said Costas Papadopoulos, international business development executive director for Greece at Lockheed Martin. “The Black Hawk helicopter is the workhorse of multi-mission medium lift aircraft and will enable Greece to perform key operations in the region. These helicopters will join Greece's upgraded F-16Vs, new MH-60Rs, existing F-16s, C-130s, and S-70Bs, as well as future F-35s. This enhanced fleet will provide Greece with extended capabilities for air, land, and sea operations, contributing to the nation's security for years to come.”

With its existing S-70B fleet and newly acquired MH-60R maritime helicopters for the Hellenic Navy, Greece will operate several variants of the Hawk family and benefit from the operational and sustainment advantages of fleet commonality. The Black Hawk has flexibility to conduct a variety of operations at greater ranges and in the most challenging environments, increasing survivability and overall effectiveness for 21st Century Security® missions.

Building on Lockheed Martin’s partnership with Greece of more than 80 years, the company stands ready to support Greece and deliver capabilities such as F-35s, F-16s and C-130s, in addition to Hawk aircraft that will increase the country’s deterrent capabilities and interoperability with allied nations.

Greece will be the 12th European country to operate the Black Hawk helicopter. In 2024, the U.S. Government has awarded Sikorsky contracts to manufacture and deliver a total of 84 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters to countries in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and South America, further proving the Black Hawk is the premier multi-role utility helicopter around the globe. On Oct. 23, Sikorsky also received UH-60M contract awards to grow the Black Hawk fleets in Austria, Brazil, Sweden and Thailand. In July, Sikorsky received contracts for Black Hawks in Croatia and Jordan; in June, Romania also added to its fleet of S-70 Black Hawks, which share the same pedigree as the UH-60M.