The U.S. Government has awarded Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, a significant Foreign Military Sale contract to provide 35 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters to Greece. This comprehensive deal includes the helicopters for the Hellenic Army, along with personnel training, training equipment, and an initial provisioning package. This enhancement is expected to significantly improve Greece’s self-defence capabilities and bolster interoperability within the nation and with NATO allies.
Hamid Salim, Sikorsky vice president of Army and Air Force Systems, remarked, “Our partnership with Greece spans decades, and we are pleased to see the nation’s continued trust in Sikorsky helicopters as Greece will benefit from an integrated Hawk family of aircraft supporting national security and humanitarian missions.” He highlighted the operational capabilities of the Black Hawk helicopter, which is backed by a global ecosystem of more than 5,000 Hawk aircraft operated by 36 countries worldwide.
Costas Papadopoulos, international business development executive director for Greece at Lockheed Martin, emphasized the long-standing relationship between Lockheed Martin and Greece, stating, “The newly contracted UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters are an additional testament for the long-standing relationship Lockheed Martin shares with Greece, its Armed Forces and defence industries for over 80 years.” He added that the Black Hawk is a versatile medium-lift aircraft capable of performing key operations in the region. This new fleet will complement Greece’s upgraded F-16Vs, new MH-60Rs, existing F-16s, C-130s, and S-70Bs, enhancing the nation’s capabilities for air, land, and sea operations for years to come.
Greece will now operate several variants of the Hawk family, including the existing S-70B fleet and the newly acquired MH-60R maritime helicopters for the Hellenic Navy. This fleet commonality offers significant operational and sustainment advantages. The Black Hawk’s flexibility allows for a wide range of operations at greater distances and in challenging environments, increasing survivability and overall effectiveness for modern security missions.
Building on its 80-year partnership with Greece, Lockheed Martin is prepared to support the nation by delivering capabilities such as F-35s, F-16s, and C-130s, in addition to the Hawk aircraft, which will enhance Greece’s deterrent capabilities and interoperability with allied nations.
With this acquisition, Greece becomes the 12th European country to operate the Black Hawk helicopter. In 2024, Sikorsky has contracts to manufacture and deliver a total of 84 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters to various countries across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and South America, reaffirming the Black Hawk’s status as a premier multi-role utility helicopter globally. Recently, on October 23, Sikorsky also secured contracts for UH-60M helicopters to expand the fleets in Austria, Brazil, Sweden, and Thailand. Prior to this, in July, contracts were awarded for Black Hawks in Croatia and Jordan, while Romania added to its S-70 Black Hawk fleet in June.
