The Brazilian Army (EB) is one step closer to acquiring a batch UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters for your Aviation Command (CAvEx). Last Friday (24), the United States government approved the possible sale of the aircraft, valued at US$950 million.
According to the note published by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), the US State Department approves the negotiation that includes the sale of 12 Sikorsky/Lockheed Martin UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters in the M version, as well as other items, armaments and services. The next step is approval of the purchase by North American congressmen. If it obtains carte blanche, the EB must invest US$450 million in new helicopters and “$500 million in other equipment and services.”
In addition to the helicopters, the purchase includes 10 spare General Electric T700-GE-701D engines, 28 EAGLE-M GPS systems; various radio and safe navigation systems; provisions for laser warning systems; M134 Minigun rotary machine guns, caliber 7,62 x 51 mm; HGU-56 helmets; Honeywell RDR-7000 weather radar and logistics and training and services. The complete list can be seen here.
According to the agency, the possible sale to EB s “the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States”, as well as promotes “the US and Brazilian objective of greater military interoperability”. DSCA also states that, with the new Black Hawk, Army Aviation will have an increase in “capability […] to provide troop transport, border security, medical evacuation, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, search and rescue, and peacekeeping .”
Compliant reported earlier in Aeroflap, CAvEx is getting rid of its four HM-2 Black Hawk and eight HM-3 Cougar (AS 532 UE) helicopters. Operated by the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Army Aviation Battalions (BAvEx), the aircraft have been in operation for over 20 years and have not received any type of modernization like the HA-1 Fennec and HM-1 Pantera. At the end of 2023, the Army General Staff approved the retirement of the HM-2 and HM-3, which will now be replaced by the UH-60M.
