Greece
UH-60M Black Hawk: the 35 helicopters that will carry reinforcements to the islands (video)
Lockheed Martin’s official video shows the UH-60M Black Hawk, the digital tactical-transport helicopter of which the Hellenic Army is buying 35 to replace its Cold War-era UH-1H Huey fleet.
For a company to reach Lesbos or Samos within a few hours, the Hellenic Army needs helicopters that fly at night, in bad weather and over the sea, and that can do it again the next day. Today Army Aviation still uses the UH-1H Huey, a type designed in the 1950s, as its main transport helicopter. With the 35 UH-60M Black Hawks from Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin subsidiary, the Army gets the digital tactical-transport helicopter used today by the US Army. Lockheed Martin’s official video shows the UH-60M up close, with the company’s test pilots explaining what makes it different from older Black Hawks.
The programme moved quickly by Greek standards: less than four months passed from US approval to signature. On December 15, 2023 the State Department approved the possible sale of 35 UH-60Ms and the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified Congress, with a maximum estimated cost of $1.95 billion for the full package. The package included 80 T700-GE-701D engines (70 installed and 10 spare), AN/AAR-57 missile warning systems, APR-39C radar warning receivers, AVR-2B laser detectors, IFF transponders, secure communications, as well as M134 and M240 machine guns and 70 mm rockets. Parliament’s armaments committee approved the procurement at a cost of about €1.15 billion, lower than the ceiling of the US approval, which covers every possible element of the package, and Greece signed the letter of offer and acceptance (LOA) with the US on April 5, 2024, through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme. Of the 35 helicopters, four are intended for the Special Warfare Command of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff, in an armed configuration for special operations.
What the UH-60M Black Hawk is
The UH-60M is the current Black Hawk variant in serial production for the US Army. Compared with the older UH-60A and UH-60L, it has a fully digital cockpit with multifunction displays, a digital automatic flight control system, more powerful T700-GE-701D engines and a strengthened transmission, which let it lift more weight in heat and at altitude. The cabin holds a full infantry squad with its weapons, while from the cargo hook under the fuselage the helicopter carries external loads such as a light 105 mm towed howitzer, a light vehicle or supply pallets. The Greek package also includes systems that warn the crew of an incoming missile, of radar emissions and of a laser beam.
One more advantage is not visible in the video. The engine belongs to GE’s T700 family, the same one that powers the Army Aviation’s AH-64 Apaches and, in a naval version (T700-GE-401C), the S-70B Aegean Hawks and MH-60Rs. The versions differ, but the common base eases the supply chain, spare parts and technician training, and can improve fleet availability. For the four of the Special Warfare Command, the M134 and M240 machine guns and the 70 mm rockets in the package make them special-operations support assets and not just transports.
Why the Black Hawks matter for the islands and Evros
The value of a tactical-transport helicopter shows in scenarios such as the rapid reinforcement of an island, the movement of reserves to Evros, the evacuation of casualties and special-forces missions. The Huey fleet has aged, as the recent hard landing of a UH-1H on Kalymnos reminded us. Meanwhile Turkey has its own Black Hawk: TUSAŞ builds the T-70 under Sikorsky licence for its armed forces and security services. With the UH-60Ms, the Army gains the modern transport capability it lacked.
The UH-60M is a transport helicopter and not an attack helicopter. Its advantage is that it increases the speed with which the Army can move people and equipment where they are needed. In an archipelago with more than a hundred inhabited islands, this strengthens deterrence: the adversary knows that any island can be reinforced quickly.
Watch Lockheed Martin’s video of the UH-60M Black Hawk
The video at the top of this page is Lockheed Martin’s official film on the UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter.
Frequently asked questions about the Army’s UH-60M Black Hawks
How many UH-60M Black Hawks is Greece buying? Thirty-five (35). Thirty-one go to Army Aviation and four to the Special Warfare Command of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff.
When was the contract for the Black Hawks signed? Greece signed the letter of offer and acceptance (LOA) with the US on April 5, 2024, through the FMS programme.
How much do the 35 Black Hawks cost? Parliament’s armaments committee approved the programme at a cost of about €1.15 billion. The December 2023 US approval gave a maximum estimated cost of $1.95 billion for the whole possible package.
What will the UH-60Ms replace? They will take over the transport missions of Army Aviation’s UH-1H Hueys, which have served for decades.
