The US Greenlights The Sale of Black Hawk Helicopters To Austria and Sweden
On May 29, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced that the US State Department had approved two separate prospective foreign military sales dossiers for the Austrian and Swedish governments, involving UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters and related equipment. According to the agency, the required certification and related documents announcing the potential sales were delivered to the US Congress on the same date.
Austria’s sales package, with an estimated cost of $1.05 billion, includes 12 UH-60M Black Hawk utility helicopters, 26 T700-GE-701D engines, including two spares, thirty-30 H-764U Embedded Global Positioning Systems with Inertial Navigation (EGI) with 15 AN/AAR-57 missile warning systems and country-specific selective availability anti-spoofing modules (or Future M Code replacement), as well as many associated sensors, support equipment, technical and logistical support and staff training.
Sweden’s sales package, worth an estimated $900 million, includes 12 UH-60M Black Hawk utility helicopters, similar to Austria, but with 30 T700-GE-701D engines, six of which are spares, and 17 AN/AAR-57 missile warning systems. Other important components of the package include spare parts, consumables, accessories, logistics and program support.
According to a statement from the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, the proposed UH-60M Black Hawk utility helicopter sales will increase Sweden and Austria’s capacity to provide troop transport, border security, medical evacuation, humanitarian aid and disaster relief, search and rescue, and peacekeeping missions. The statement additionally stated that these sales will help the United States achieve its goal of greater military interoperability with both countries, as well as increase the security of important regional partners who are a force for political stability and economic progress in Europe.
The prime contractor for both sales will be Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin subsidiary based in Stratford, Connecticut. To successfully execute these potential sales, fifteen members of the United States government and/or contractor representatives will need to travel to Austria and Sweden. These individuals will be in charge of processing/fielding equipment, system control, training, and providing technical and logistical support as needed.
The State Department’s approval of the arms sale indicates that the sale is not a source of concern for the US administration. If the US Congress does not object to the department’s decision within 30 days, the administration will begin discussing the sales package’s details with the Austrian and Swedish governments, and procurement will begin. If the US Congress does not object to the sale, both European countries’ Black Hawk fleets, which are already UH-60M operators, will expand. Furthermore, the arrival of these helicopters will help to fill the gap in the fleets of Sweden and Austria, which have decided to retire the NH90 helicopter early.