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| US Approves Sale of 40 UH-60M Black Hawks Helicopters to Australia |
Washington - The United States Department of State has approved the sale of 40 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters and related equipment worth 1.95 billion USD to Australia. This was announced on the website of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) on August 25, 2022.
The UH-60M Black Hawk will replace the Australian Defense Force's MRH90 Taipan utility helicopter. The DSCA said the sale to a key US ally would offer a more reliable and proven system that would allow Australia to maintain an appropriate level of readiness to conduct joint operations.
“The UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter will enhance the Australian Army's ability to deploy combat force to share Australia's strategic environment, deter action against its interests and, where necessary, respond with credible force. Australia will have no trouble absorbing this equipment into its armed forces,” the DSCA wrote.
The Black Hawk sale deal to Australia also includes 88 T700-GE 701D engines made by General Electric, 44 AN/AAR-57 counter-missile warning systems made by BAE Systems, and other navigation and communications systems. The prime contractor for this procurement is Lockheed Martin.