Greece Secures Deal for 35 Black Hawk Helicopters

 

Greece recently completed a major defense agreement with the United States, securing the purchase of 35 UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters.

This transaction with Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin subsidiary, was brokered by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) and is prized at an astounding $1.95 billion (€1.78 billion).

The Logistics of the Deal

This purchase represents a significant upgrade for the Greek Land Forces, as it replaces the older Bell UH-1 Iroquois helicopters. Originally, it was speculated that 49 helicopters would be purchased, but the final agreement, confirmed in a DSCA statement on December 15, 2023, settled on 35 helicopters.

The Greek government had considered purchasing the PZL Mielec S-70 variant of the UH-60 Black Hawk from Poland. They eventually chose US-made helicopters through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) process.

These new cutting-edge multirole helicopters will be outfitted with evolutionary technology such as missile warning systems, embedded global positioning systems, and a variety of communication and radio systems.

On another note, Greece is also upgrading its naval capabilities with seven MH-60R Seahawk helicopters, along with its existing S-70B “Aegean Hawk” fleet. Both of these models are based on the UH-60 Black Hawk.

According to CNN Greece, Greece was also considering purchasing 14 AW-139 helicopters from Italian manufacturer Leonardo to expand its military aviation fleet. These combat search and rescue helicopters would be used to replace the existing Super Puma fleet. This  was influenced by the AW-139’s alignment with the operational needs of the Hellenic Air Force, which triumphed over competitors.

France and Greece Launch ‘Kimon’ Frigate for the Hellenic Navy

Recently, the launching ceremony of the first frigate for Greece named “Kimon” took place in the Naval Group shipyard of Lorient, France on Wednesday.

The ceremonial launching took place in the presence of Sébastien Lecornu, French minister of the Armed Forces and his Greek counterpart, Nikos Dendias.

The Kimon frigate, together with the “Nearchos” and “Formionas” frigates, “will spearhead the Greek Navy”, Dendias said.

The frigates bear the names of Kimon (Κίμων), an admiral in Alexander the Great‘s army who gained fame for his valor in the naval Battle of Salamis in 480 BC, Nearchos (Νέαρχος), an admiral in the Athenian army before and during the Peloponnesian War, and Phormionas (Φορμίων), an admiral and commander of Athens.

Kimon is expected to sail in Greek waters in 2025.

These three frigates Dendias added, “will function as factors of stability and peace, yet also as a projection of power in the Aegean, in the Eastern Mediterranean, and in our broader region and beyond.”