Greece will bolster its defense capabilities after the US on Tuesday awarded Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, a Foreign Military Sale contract to provide 35 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters.
The deal includes 35 aircraft for the Hellenic Army as well as personnel training, training equipment, and an initial provisioning package, which will significantly improve self-defense and bolster interoperability within the nation and with NATO allies.
“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,” said Hamid Salim, Sikorsky vice president of Army and Air Force Systems.
Black Hawk offers Greece a range of capabilities
“The Black Hawk helicopter offers Greece a range of operational capabilities and a global ecosystem of more than 5,000 Hawk aircraft operated by 36 countries around the world.
“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 defense industries for over 80 years,” said Costas Papadopoulos, international business development executive director for Greece at Lockheed Martin.
“The Black Hawk helicopter is the workhorse of multi-mission medium lift aircraft and will enable Greece to perform key operations in the region. These helicopters will join Greece’s upgraded F-16Vs, new MH-60Rs, existing F-16s, C-130s, and S-70Bs, as well as future F-35s. This enhanced fleet will provide Greece with extended capabilities for air, land, and sea operations, contributing to the nation’s security for years to come.”
With its existing S-70B fleet and newly acquired MH-60R maritime helicopters for the Hellenic Navy, Greece will operate several variants of the Hawk family and benefit from the operational and sustainment advantages of fleet commonality.
The Black Hawk has the flexibility to conduct a variety of operations at greater ranges and in the most challenging environments, increasing survivability and overall effectiveness for 21st Century Security® missions.
Lockheed Martin future deliveries to Greece
Building on Lockheed Martin’s partnership with Greece of more than 80 years, the company stands ready to support Greece and deliver capabilities such as F-35s, F-16s, and C-130s, in addition to Hawk aircraft that will increase the country’s deterrent capabilities and interoperability with allied nations., a press release notes.
Greece will be the 12th European country to operate the Black Hawk helicopter. In 2024, the US has awarded Sikorsky contracts to manufacture and deliver a total of 84 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters to countries in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and South America, further proving the Black Hawk is the premier multi-role utility helicopter around the globe.
On Oct. 23, Sikorsky also received UH-60M contract awards to grow the Black Hawk fleets in Austria, Brazil, Sweden and Thailand. In July, Sikorsky received contracts for Black Hawks in Croatia and Jordan; in June, Romania also added to its fleet of S-70 Black Hawks, which share the same pedigree as the UH-60M.
Greece’s defense modernization
Greece aims to revamp its defense industry and boost its shipbuilding industry, as it recovers from a decade-long debt crisis that forced it to slash spending.
The government has drafted a multi-billion, 10-year purchasing plan, that includes acquiring up to 40 new F-35 fighter jets from the US and three frigates from France.
Athens is also in talks with the US to co-design and build Constellation-class frigates for the Greek Navy.
