Croatia has officially purchased eight additional Sikorsky-built UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters through the U.S. government’s Foreign Military Sale programme, according to a press release, increasing its total Black Hawk fleet to 12 helicopters.
This purchase includes not only the aircraft but also organisational equipment, spare and repair parts, and associated support equipment.
“We deeply value Croatia’s continued trust in the Black Hawk helicopter, which is operated by the U.S. and more than 35 other nations, including NATO allies, offering unmatched global and regional interoperability,” said Hamid Salim, vice president of Army and Air Force Systems at Sikorsky, quoted in the news release.
He further added that Croatia’s decision to triple its Black Hawk fleet will support modernisation efforts and strengthen the Balkan region’s ability to deter current and future threats.
The newly acquired Black Hawks will enable Croatia to support a variety of roles, including troop transport, border security, counter-terrorism, medical evacuation, search and rescue, resupply or external lift, and combat support. This versatility is highlighted in the press release as a critical factor in the decision to expand the fleet.
According to the press release, all nations operating the Black Hawk, particularly NATO members, benefit from the helicopter’s broad operational capabilities and a global ecosystem encompassing over 5,000 Hawk aircraft.
Good Day!
Perhaps the UK should order these without any more delay?
The tender for the next generation MRH has taken long enough.
Nick
The UK should wait until the program to integrate the new GE T901 into Blackhawk has been successful. Croatia ordered the Blackhawk with the current GE 701D engines.
The tender has not even started yet..and the Uk needs to maintain its sovereign capacity to build rotors or in 20 years time people will be cursing a very short sighted decision…nations live and die on the holistic management of their military industrial complex..no individual decision for short term convenience or advantage should be allowed to weaken our nation’s military industrial complex…the US, french Italians and even the Germans understand this.
Many thanks your message!
Perhaps the UK should speed up and order enough to ensure British industry has a chance to survive. All this dithering about is no good.
For info the Bundespolizei in Germany ordered 44 new pumas a few weeks ago. (Army,Navy,Airforce not involved)
Why is the UK not capable of ordering in such quantities?
Nick
No idea, our medium rotor fleet is dire..and really needs recapitalisation in larger numbers…the reality is almost all the options are good ( it’s marginal gains or losses for all the different platforms) the main thing is that it’s built in the UK and ensures we maintain sovereign capacity in rotor aircraft and we get the correct numbers.
Possible/probable licence-build of any non-UK selection by AugustaWestland?
Let’s be honest, when your talking orders in the 40s everyone asks for it to be built at home.
…just as AW licence-built Apache back in the day. AW defunct as a company name since 2016 – they merged into Leonardo (of Rome), formerly Finmeccania. Still operate the site in Yeovil under the new name of Leonardo Helicopters.
Thanks your reply, The industry in the UK should have been saved years ago! Government left right or in the middle should make a compromise and ensure orders and policies are respected! Perhaps if that was the case we would still have a tank building industry as well as a self developing Naval and Aircraft industry let alone space and missile technology, without relying on consortiums. As regards the MRH question order the Blackhawk in sufficient numbers to produce in the UK and ensure compatability in NATO. If Germany can order 44 Pumas for there Border police we can surely… Read more »
The key difference is. We have very different requirements from that of the German border police. Like the ability to deploy overseas and operate in very hostile and high threat environments.
The helicopter industry in the UK still exists at Yeovil. Just that it is called Leonardo Helicopters now.
There’s getting to be quite a queue with all these sales coming through!