Austria signs for additional Black Hawk helicopters

Austria has signed for 12 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters, as fielded by the US Army (pictured here) and other international operators. (Janes/Patrick Allen)

Austria has signed for new Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawks to add to the medium-lift helicopters it already fields.

A spokesperson for the Austrian Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed the procurement of 12 new UH-60M helicopters on 2 July, around five weeks after approval for the buy was disclosed by the US Defense Security and Cooperation Agency (DSCA) on 29 May.

The Foreign Military Sales (FMS) purchase is valued at approximately EUR715 million (USD768.2 million), which includes the helicopters, related equipment, training, and support. Deliveries into the Austrian Air Force (Osterreichische Luftstreitkrafte) base at Vogler (Linz‐Hörsching) in the north of the country are due to commence in 2028.

Once in service, the UH-60Ms will augment Austria's existing nine first-generation S-70A model Black Hawks (albeit now upgraded) at the same time as replacing its ageing Agusta-Bell AB212 ‘Huey' helicopters.

With more than 4,000 in service globally, the Black Hawk is the medium-lift helicopter by which all others are measured. As the most modern variant of the Black Hawk helicopter, the UH-60M incorporates more powerful and reliable General Electric T700-GE-701D engines, enhanced rotor blades, and a fully digital ‘glass' cockpit.

For more information on the international Black Hawk programme, please seeParis Air Show 2023: PZL Mielec prepared to increase Polish Black Hawk production to meet demand .