Greece has initiated a significant upgrade to its military aviation capabilities by entering into talks to acquire up to 49 Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters. The move aims to replace the aging fleet of UH-1 helicopters currently in service with the Hellenic Army.

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 Greece has initiated a significant upgrade to its military aviation capabilities by entering into talks to acquire up to 49 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters (Picture source: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation)

The formal request for the Black Hawk helicopters was disclosed by Sikorsky President Paul Lemmo at the Association of the U.S. Army conference in Washington DC. The deal is being processed by the U.S. Defence Cooperation office and comes as part of Greece's broader military modernization program.

The UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters are expected to significantly enhance the operational capacity and combat readiness of the Greek military. Unlike the older UH-1 helicopters, the Black Hawks are more resource-efficient and are associated with fewer accidents. The Hellenic Army currently operates 64 Bell UH-1 helicopters primarily for utility lift missions.

According to Sikorsky, there is approximately a three-year wait between the finalization of order contracts and the first delivery. The timeline may vary depending on the specific configurations that Greece may request for the aircraft.

The Black Hawk acquisition is part of a comprehensive upgrade of the Greek armed forces. In addition to helicopters, Greece has also procured expensive Rafale jets to replace the older Mirage 2000s. The country is also upgrading its American F-16 fleet to the V version. Last week, Greece, as reported by Navy Recognition on October 04, 2023, launched its first frigate, named "Kimon," built by the Naval Group shipyard in Lorient, France, as part of its naval modernization.