The Greek government signed a letter of offer and acceptance (LOA) on 5 April 2024 for 35 Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters, parent company Lockheed Martin announced the same day. The helicopters are being acquired through the US government’s Foreign Military Sales (FMS) construct.
The US State Department approved an FMS covering 35 UH-60M Black Hawks and related equipment for Greece on 15 December 2023 in a package estimated to be worth USD 1.95 billion (EUR 1.81 billion).
The Greek armed forces are already operators of the S-70B and MH-60R maritime helicopters and will thus operate multiple variants of Hawk-family aircraft, benefitting from the operational and sustainment advantages of fleet commonality.
In addition to the 35 UH-60Ms, the latest Greek procurement also includes personnel training and training equipment to ensure the helicopters’ smooth integration into the Hellenic Army.
“The latest-generation UH-60M Black Hawk will support the Hellenic Ministry of Defence’s ongoing modernisation and will serve as a dependable helicopter for vital national and allied security missions,” Paul Lemmo, president of Sikorsky, was quoted as saying in a Lockheed Martin press release.
The Black Hawk is operated by more than 35 over 5,000 helicopters, with the type having racked up five million combat hours.
