Croatia has officially purchased eight additional Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters via a US government Foreign Military Sale (FMS), parent company Lockheed Martin announced on 12 July 2024.
The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced on 26 January 2024 that the Croatian Black Hawk buy, worth an estimated USD 500 million (EUR 458 million) and covering eight UH-60Ms plus 19 T700-GE 701D engines (16 installed and three spares) along with various mission systems, spares and support, had been approved by the US State Department.
The deal brings the Croatian Air Force’s UH-60M fleet up to a total of 12 aircraft. The country received its first four UH-60Ms from February 2022; two were purchased via FMS and another two were donated by the US government.
“We deeply value Croatia’s continued trust in the Black Hawk helicopter, which is operated by the US and more than 35 other nations, including NATO allies, offering unmatched global and regional interoperability,” Hamid Salim, vice president of Army and Air Force Systems at Sikorsky, was quoted as saying in a Lockheed Martin press release. “Croatia’s decision to acquire eight more of the latest-generation UH-60M Black Hawks for its armed forces, tripling its fleet, will support ongoing modernisation efforts and strengthen the Balkan region’s ability to deter current and future threats.”
Croatia’s Black Hawks can support a range of missions, including troop lift, border security, counter-terrorism, medical evacuation, search and rescue, resupply or external lift, and combat support.
