Greece signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) on Friday making official its intent to procure 35 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters built by Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, through an intergovernmental agreement with the US.
This transaction with Sikorsky was brokered by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) in December 2023 and is prized at $1.95 billion (€1.78 billion). Earlier this week the Greek Parliament approved the purchase.
“The latest generation UH-60M Black Hawk will support the Hellenic Ministry of Defense’s ongoing modernization and will serve as a dependable helicopter for vital national and allied security missions,” said Sikorsky president Paul Lemmo.
“Trusted and operated by more than 35 nations, including a growing number of NATO allies, the multi-role Black Hawk helicopter provides unmatched global interoperability, significantly increasing Greece’s deterrent capability and that of all NATO member countries,” he said.
In addition to the aircraft, the procurement also includes personnel training and training equipment to ensure the helicopters’ smooth integration into the Hellenic Army.
It will likely be years before Greece sees any of the new Black Hawks. Lemmo said recently there has been approximately a three-year wait between finalized order contracts and first delivery.
“It depends on the specialization that they want in the aircraft,” the Sikorsky chief says. “Depending on the aircraft, sometimes we can accelerate that a little bit more.”
The Black Hawk will offer Greece “a range of operational capabilities”
“We are honored to expand our existing partnership with the Hellenic Armed Forces with the addition of the UH-60M Black Hawk to their growing fleet,” said Costas Papadopoulos, international business development director for Greece at Lockheed Martin.
“The Black Hawk is the best solution for Greece’s multi-mission requirements with capabilities enhancing the nation’s effectiveness in the 21st-century security battlespace,” he stressed.
With its existing S-70B fleet and newly acquired MH-60R maritime helicopters for the Grek Navy, Greece will operate several variants of the Hawk family and benefit from the operational and sustainment advantages of fleet commonality, Lockheed Martin said.
According to the company’s announcement, as the world’s premier multi-role utility helicopter with 5 million combat hours, the Black Hawk will offer Greece a range of operational capabilities and a global ecosystem of more than 5,000 Hawk aircraft.
The UH-60M/S-70M Black Hawk is the aircraft of choice for replacing legacy medium-lift utility helicopter fleets, with the flexibility to conduct a variety of missions at greater ranges and in the most challenging environments, and with increased survivability over other aircraft, according to Lockheed Martin.
Greece’s defense modernization
Greece aims to revamp its defense industry and boost its shipbuilding industry, as it recovers from a decade-long debt crisis that forced it to slash spending.
The government has drafted a multi-billion, 10-year purchasing plan, that includes acquiring up to 40 new F-35 fighter jets from the U.S. and three frigates from France.
Athens is also in talks with the United States to co-design and build Constellation-class frigates for the Greek Navy.