US approves possible sale of 11 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters to Mexico – what the $1.075 billion package includes

The State Department on Friday, November 6, 2026 approved a possible sale of eleven UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters to Mexico through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme. The estimated value of the package is 1.075 billion dollars, and the notification to Congress is numbered 26-104.

The approval concerns a possible sale, not a signed order. Congress reviews the notification first, and if there is no objection, the Mexican government can proceed to negotiation and a contract with the American side.

What the package includes

Besides the eleven helicopters, Mexico requested 27 T700-GE-701D engines, 27 EAGLE-M+429 navigation systems combining GPS and inertial navigation, and 27 AN/ARC-231A RT-1987 radios for VHF, UHF and satellite communications.

Accompanying equipment includes APX-128 identification friend-or-foe transponders with KIV-79 cryptographic modules, an RDR-7000 weather radar, an MX-10D electro-optical and infrared system with designator, pointer and laser rangefinder, AN/AVS-6 night vision goggles and a TCAS I collision-avoidance system. The helicopters will also have ballistic armour, internal auxiliary fuel tanks, a rescue hoist, fast-roping equipment and M-134 machine guns. Spare parts, crew and technician training, and technical and logistics support from the US government and the manufacturer are also included.

The prime contractor will be Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin subsidiary based in Stratford, Connecticut. For delivery and entry into service, fifteen US government employees or company representatives will need to stay in Mexico for an extended period to cover systems checks, training and support.

The role in counter-narcotics operations

Washington presents the sale as a step toward modernising Mexico’s helicopter fleet. The rationale is that Mexican armed forces will expand the existing UH-60M fleet and reduce the number of different helicopter types, increasing efficiency. The State Department explicitly links the sale to Mexico’s ability to airlift forces taking part in counter-narcotics operations within the country.

The American side calls Mexico an ally contributing to the political stability and economic progress of North America and judges the sale will strengthen bilateral relations. It also notes the deal does not alter the military balance in the region and does not affect the readiness of US forces. Any offsets will be decided in negotiation between the buyer and the contractor.

The UH-60M is a version of the US Army’s Black Hawk, used by many countries for troop transport, search and rescue and special operations. In Greece the same FMS process led in December 2023 to approval of 35 UH-60M Black Hawks for the Hellenic Army, and we recently presented the 35 UH-60M that will carry reinforcements to the islands.