Croatia Triples Its Black Hawk Fleet By Purchasing Eight Additional Helicopters
The procurement of UH-60M Black Hawks, which the Croatian Ministry of Defense has been requesting from the United States through Foreign Military Sales since last year to replace the Mi-8 helicopters donated to Ukraine, became official on July 12 with the signing of an agreement with Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin subsidiary, following standard procedures such as State Department approval, Congressional approval, and Letter of Acceptance (LOA).
The $274 million official agreement includes eight additional UH-60M Black Hawk utility helicopters, as previously reported, as well as organizational equipment, spare and repair parts, and relevant support equipment, marking a significant step in Croatia’s efforts to modernize the Soviet equipment it largely inherited from Yugoslavia. According to the Croatian Ministry of Defense, the US will cover 51% of the contract price, while the Zagreb government will cover the remainder between 2025 and 2027. If the current procurement program is not disrupted, deliveries will be completed by 2028, bringing the Croatian Air Force’s total Black Hawk fleet to 12.
The Croatian Air Force has four Black Hawk helicopters, two of which were purchased from the United States under the “Foreign Military Sales” program and the other two under Washington’s military aid program. All of these helicopters are currently assigned to the 194th Multi-Purpose Helicopter Squadron of the Croatian Air Force’s 91st Wing, based at Zagreb-Pleso Airport, and are used for troop transport, border security, counter-terrorism, medical evacuation, search and rescue, supply/external transport, and combat support operations.
In a statement regarding the final agreement, Hamid Salim, Vice President of Sikorsky Army and Air Force Systems, said: “We deeply value Croatia’s continued trust in the Black Hawk helicopter, which is operated by the U.S. and more than 35 other nations, including NATO allies, offering unmatched global and regional interoperability. Croatia’s decision to acquire eight more of the latest generation UH-60M Black Hawks for its Armed Forces, tripling its fleet, will support ongoing modernization efforts and strengthen the Balkan region’s ability to deter current and future threats.”
The Zagreb government’s efforts to modernize its armed forces extend beyond the UH-60M Black Hawk. Croatia has previously purchased 16 Kiowa Warrior helicopters, AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, 89 M2A2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and related equipment from the United States, PzH 2000 Howitzers from Germany, and 12 second-hand Rafale F3-R aircraft (10 single-seat and two double-seat) from France. All of these purchases are critical investments for Zagreb and significantly contribute to Croatia’s regional and NATO defense and security.