The U.S. State Department has approved sales of UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters to Austria and Sweden.
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) officially notified Congress of these potential deals today.
Austria has been approved to purchase twelve UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters and a range of related equipment and support services at an estimated cost of $1.05 billion. The proposed sale includes:
- Twelve (12) UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters
- Twenty-six (26) T700-GE-701D engines
- Fifteen (15) AN/AAR-57 Counter Missile Warning Systems (CMWS)
- Thirty (30) H-764U Embedded Global Positioning Systems with Inertial Navigation (EGI) with country-unique selective availability anti-spoofing modules (or Future M-Code replacement)
Additionally, the sale includes:
“APR-39C(V)1/4 radar warning receivers; AVR-2B laser detecting sets; AN/ARN-147(V) very high frequency omni-directional range instrument landing system receiver radio; AN/ARN-149(V) low frequency automatic direction finder (ADF) radio receiver; AN/ARN-153 Tactical Air Navigation System (TACAN) receiver transmitter; AN/APN-209 radar altimeter radios; EBC-406HM emergency locator transmitter (ELT); Improved Heads Up Display (IHUD); signal data converters for IHUD; colour weather radars; MX-10D electro optical and infrared with laser designator; Engine Inlet Barrier Filters (EIBF); Ballistic Armor Protection Systems (BAPS); Internal Auxiliary Fuel Tank Systems (IAFTS); Fast Rope Insertion Extraction System (FRIES); External Rescue Hoist (ERH); rescue hoist equipment sets; dual patient litter system (DPLS) sets; Martin Baker palletised crew chief and gunner seats with crashworthy floor structural modifications; External Stores Support System (ESSS); instrument panel; cockpit multi-function display (MFD); degraded visual environment (DVE) system; Traffic Alert Collision Avoidance System (TCAS II); cargo hook scale; sling load observation capability; Direction Finder DF-935; environmental control system; snow skis provisions; Bambi bucket provisions; Helicopter Terrain Awareness System (HTAWS); CONRAD troop radio capability; TETRA BOS radio capability; very important person kit; 28 volts of direct current 10 ampere utility power socket (cabin); Universal Serial Bus (USB) charging outlet; Crashworthy Extended Range Fuel Systems (CEFS) tanks; Black Hawk Aircrew Trainer (BAT); training devices; helmets; transportation; organisational equipment; spare and repair parts; support equipment; tools and test equipment; technical data and publications; personnel training and training equipment; U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support services; and other related elements of logistics support.”
The principal contractor for this sale is Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky unit based in Stratford, CT. The DSCA noted that there are no offset agreements associated with this sale.
Similarly, Sweden has been approved to purchase twelve UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters along with thirty T700-GE-701D engines and seventeen AN/AAR-57 common missile warning systems, among other equipment. The total estimated cost for Sweden’s package is $900 million.
This sale includes:
- Twelve (12) UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters
- Thirty (30) T700-GE-701D engines (24 installed, 6 spares)
- Seventeen (17) AN/AAR-57 common missile warning systems (CMWS)
Additionally, the sale includes:
“AN/APR-39C(V)1/4 radar warning receivers; AN/AVR-2B laser detecting sets; AN/ARN-149(V) low frequency automatic direction finder radio receivers; AN/ARN-153 tactical air navigation systems (TACAN) receiver transmitters; AN/APN-209 radar altimeters; EBC-406HM emergency locator transmitters (ELT); Enhanced Ballistic Armor Protection Systems (EBAPS); Internal Auxiliary Fuel Tank Systems (IAFTS); Fast Rope Insertion Extraction Systems (FRIES); external rescue hoists (ERH); rescue hoist equipment sets; Martin Baker palletised crew chief and gunner seats with crashworthy floor structural modifications; aircraft fire extinguisher cartridge; impulse cartridge; thruster TCU-3/A; helmets; transportation; organisational equipment; spare and repair parts; support equipment; tools and test equipment; technical data and publications; personnel training and training equipment; U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support services; and other related elements of logistics and program support.”
As with Austria, Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky unit will be the principal contractor. There are no offset agreements connected to this sale.
Both sales will necessitate the deployment of approximately fifteen U.S. Government and/or contractor representatives to Austria and Sweden, respectively. These teams will assist with equipment de-processing, system checks, training, and ongoing technical and logistical support.
A few quid more for dear old Denham at Martin-Baker 😉 I think Blackhawk will eventually win the medium-lift tender the MOD put out as there’s a lot of British made component parts and Gosport will undertake the servicing alongside the Chinooks. I suspect the incoming Labour government will weather the storm of criticism they’re likely to attract from Yeovil as that area of the world doesn’t return Labour MPs (cynical but likely to pan out)
Standardisation with other Nato allies makes sense. And it is a proven machine. Expect whines from Europhiles if we order it though.
The French especially.
I can hear it now: “What about AIRBUS?!”
Read the Runes. My money is on H175M. Cement the new enteinte condiale, jobs in Broughton, Airbus is on a roll, Boeing is tanking, we just bought its little brother the H145, no labour MPs in Yeovil. Everything points to Airbus.
The H175 is Chinese… we’d be mad to buy it.
And if the F35 or Apache programmes has taught us something it’s that getting British content onto American kit is getting harder by the day… hence we have to buy US rather than UK munitions.
Yeovil products don’t have the best rep, but that’s as much to do with piecemeal procurement as it is with the supplier… and a strategic tie up with the Italians, covering this, Tempest etc would be sensible.
I think the H175 is Airbus (former Eurocopter) but manufactured/co-developed for the Chinese market by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China. However, it seems that Boeing and Airbus have teamed up for the NMH procurement with the H175M, whereas, the MH-139 Grey Wolf is based on the Leonardo AW139, while Leonardo is offering the AW149. What cluster fuck of licencing.
We’ll see more of this madness I think with the uptick in protectionism globally….. hoping to fool us these are indigenous products
To muddy the waters the airframes for the AW149 and Blackhawks are made in the same Polish factory. Though the U.K. is allowed the route to cheaper Blackhawks, by buying them direct from the US Army that are transferred from the US production line. Similar process to the new Chinooks we are getting.
Although any UK AW149s would be built in the UK and would essentially mean the UK takes over from the production line in Italy for any foreign orders ( that was the deal on the table if the UK did go for the AW149).
If anyone can point to a better ASW platform than Merlin, I’d love to know about it.
Only issue is we don’t have enough of them and IMHO I suspect a modernised NG replacement would sell well.
The Merlin is the best ASW platform and it’s sad we aren’t investing in new ones that have the latest upgrades that the Norwegian SAR aircraft have. It is a bit heavy though for a general purpose logistics helicopter.
I’m more concerned that by not going for the AW149 we lose the ability to build new Merlin’s. We need not only new ones but to increase the numbers available.
Don’t have the best rep….I’m not sure where from…but the wildcat is a very good smaller medium maritime rotor and the Merlin is by far the best ASW rotor in the world….
I agree that Merlin is the best ASW helicopter there is and we should build more of them, but the reputation is that the products are expensive and that spares are slow to arrive…. But both are as much the fault of procurement (and a smaller user base) then that of the product per se
I think Airbus is working with Boeing on the H175M program, but I could be wrong. If true, hell has frozen over.
😂
The Blackhawk is Lockheed not Boeing.
I was thinking of the fortunes of Boeing vs Airbus. But yes, very valid to point out the Lockheed Blackhawk relationship.
The budget for the new medium helicopter is between £900 million and £1.3 billion for 36 to 44. From the recent procurement of 12 Blackhawks + certain parts costing Brazil, Austria and Sweden costing around the billion-dollar mark, I don’t we will be going for Blackhawks.
It may be that a significant percentage of the cost quote is attributable to the various ala carte options. Probably somewhat more competitive airframe v. airframe. 🤔
I doubt the UK will get that number (up to 44) as already part of the requirement is being met with newly ordered H145’s and the SF do not need such a large Helo and may also go with the H145 too, this leaves but the Puma replacement which there is about half the fleet working (24ish). I’d say we need more medium Helo’s for moving Percy around the Battle field and that they should have something to hit with too. Merlin is best in its Maritime environment and yes the RN needs more of both in service versions with at least 10+ of each to give some numbers.
But I for one do not trust any of the parties with the UK Security as they are all WOKE.
The UK will be in bit of a the queue if it goes with the BH. We just hope the UK ends up with the best value and spec, longest range, latest available of whatever it chooses.
Why oh why didn’t BAe take over Westland and Shorts?
Westland was Heseltines doing. A meddling prat.
Because BAe had no rotor know how and Italians were partners 50 50 with Westland doing Merlin.
i remember reading a lot of ‘Blackhawks are so cheap’ articles… look very pricey to me.
first black hawk flew before the first Merlin, but whilst our government never wants to invest in platforms and wants t(e next shines thing, they have continually refined the design… I wish we would do the same.
the price includes lifetime maintenance by lockmart contractors who will move to those countries from the US. they determined it was cheaper and more effective to pay up front than establishing their own pipeline of logistics and maintenance troops for such a small fleet.
Yes, I thought this too and have voiced my preference for BH many times.
These latest articles on the cost rather challenge my views!
What we the public probably won’t see is the costs compared when all the packages are added in.
It probably not possible for the manufacturers to offer the same packages so a comparison can be made.
To be honest I don’t think there will be any real difference in the cost of any of these medium lift rotors..so in reality it’s a matter of balancing:
1) The best medium rotor for the armies needs ( to be honest I think they are all so close..some carry more some to other things). So for me this one is a bit mmmaaaa whatever.
2) what best supports the Uk strategic industrial capacity..for rotor, general air and autonomous air systems ( you need a rotor industry if your going to do autonomous air systems).. for me this is actually the biggest and most important of all considerations…
3) what gives the best industrial stimulus and tax base support….this is linked to number 2 but is not quite the same and a bit more short term.
If that is so then I would support the most home built content, so clearly the AW option.
Though I still believe the BH is what the military actually want.
I have always believed the BH could be acquired cheaply OTS, and Davey above mentions how that is possible.
That won’t happen as, as always, the MoD budget is more about jobs than providing cost effective kit.
also remember, the important bit is getting the correct number..in the end the way procurement works is that the MOD will put out the contract metrics including the numbers required and price envelope and all the bidders will work to fit in that..they many have slightly different prices…but the MOD will not go…look that’s 500million cheaper so we can get 6 more medium rotors if we go for that bid..the treasury would just bank the savings ( I think that has been a bit of a driver for poor contracts actually…in that the MOD would not get any extra for savings on large capital contracts..the treasury will just adjust the allocation).
So for numbers the MOD just need to put in some min standards that exclude any bid of that don’t get there..( price envelope with a firm contract price, numbers, spares and support)…then you simply exclude any bids that don’t hit the min criteria…and most importantly you don’t not change your spec after the contract ( it’s this chopping and changing that has made MOD contracts so very expensive….it’s a simple rule..every one involved in contracts knows..if you run a procurement and get a winner, sign the contracts then change the contract the winner has you by the nose and you essentially have to pay them what they say for the contract changes or they can take you to the cleaners for breach of contract…).
in the end I honestly don’t think it matters which medium rotor is got, as long as it’s got in the correct numbers and we ensure we still have a rotor industry in this country ( after all the reality is we can insists any rotor design is built in the UK…Poland have ).
Well last I heard, FMH might be as few as 23….and 40 plus are needed.
So we’re screwed on that front already.
23 would be a very low number. Have the taken no lessons around military rotor losses in war..let alone the min required for normal operations…in the Falklands war 23 rotors were lost…
The look to be a pricey option… perhaps it’s the lack of competition? NH90 is a basket case so what else is there? For that reason alone I wonder if it’s worth pursuing the AW149 option.
OK, require assistance. Unable to comprehend the meaning of the term “equipment deprocessing” in last sentence of the article.
The removal of things…like plugs, cap and protective raps…basically unpacking.
Huh, thanks. Prefer the term unpacking, probably would yield some cost savings.😉