Greece has secured a Foreign Military Sale contract with Sikorsky, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin, to procure 35 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters for its Hellenic Army. Valued at approximately $1.95 billion (€1.78 billion), the contract encompasses the helicopters, personnel training, training equipment, and an initial provisioning package. These new Black Hawks will phase out the aging Bell UH-1 Iroquois fleet currently operated by the Greek Land Forces.
“Our longstanding partnership with Greece underscores their continued confidence in Sikorsky helicopters,” said Hamid Salim, Sikorsky’s vice president of Army and Air Force Systems. “The Black Hawk will enhance Greece’s national security and humanitarian operations, backed by a global network of over 5,000 Hawk helicopters in 36 countries worldwide.”
The UH-60M Black Hawk, acclaimed for its versatility and reliability since its introduction in 1974, supports a range of missions, including air and patient transport, evacuations, special forces operations, parachutist drop-offs, and firefighting. With a standard range of approximately 590 kilometers (370 miles)—extendable to 2,200 kilometers (1,370 miles) with auxiliary fuel tanks—it has a top speed of 300 kilometers (190 miles) per hour and can reach altitudes up to 6,000 meters (20,000 feet).
The Hellenic Navy already operates roughly 30 Sikorsky MH-60R and S-70B Seahawk helicopters, closely related models to the Black Hawk, allowing for streamlined maintenance and logistics across fleets.
Additionally, the Hellenic Air Force is modernizing its combat search and rescue (CSAR) capabilities by acquiring 14 AW139 helicopters from Leonardo, an Italian aerospace company. This new fleet will replace the Super Puma helicopters, with the first order for three AW139s placed in May 2024.
