LithuaniaMilitary Aviation
LithuaniaLithuania receives two more UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters under agreement with US
The delivery is part of the 2020 agreement for a total of four helicopters. It includes training and support, with Lithuania’s defence minister emphasising interoperability with NATO allies.
The Lithuanian Armed Forces have received two more US-made UH-60M Black Hawk multirole helicopters, Lithuania’s Ministry of National Defence announced. The ministry’s statement was reported by Defence Industry Europe, a Polish news website covering the European defence industry. The aircraft were delivered under a 2020 agreement with the US government covering a total of four helicopters.
Purchase also includes training and support
According to Defence Industry Europe, Lithuania allocated around US$232 million for the purchase, while the US government provided $30 million in financial support. The website says the agreement includes additional equipment, spare parts, training, repairs and logistical support. Vilnius later provided further funding for newer-generation equipment.
These figures cannot be used to calculate a unit price simply by dividing by four. They cover the acquisition of the helicopters as well as the training and support needed to operate them. The latest delivery is part of the implementation of the existing programme, not the announcement of a new order.
Lithuanian pilots train in the US
Lithuania’s defence minister says the country’s pilots are training in the US. He says using the same equipment as US forces and other NATO allies will make joint operations easier and faster. The minister points to US financial support and training as concrete examples of the strategic partnership between the two countries.
However, delivery of the helicopters does not mean they are already operationally ready. Operating them requires trained aircrew and technical personnel, serviceable aircraft and support arrangements in place. Training, spare parts and repairs are therefore an essential part of the programme. The number of helicopters delivered does not, on its own, indicate how ready they are to carry out missions.
Sources
1 secondary report
Secondary reporting
Defence Industry Europe · defence-industry.eu
Lithuania takes delivery of two more UH-60M Black Hawks under 2020 deal with U.S.Other
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