The U.S. government has approved a potential sale of 21 Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters to Norway, the U.S. Department of State said on Friday of last week. The package, valued at an estimated $2.3 billion (€1.98 billion), includes, in addition to the aircraft, mission equipment, weapons, training and technical support.
According to the notice, the equipment includes 46 T700-GE-701D engines, 25 AN/AAR-57 missile warning systems, 25 infrared self-protection systems, 25 radar warning receivers AN/APR-39E(V)2, 50 EAGLE-M+429 satellite and inertial navigation systems, 100 AN/ARC-231A radios and 18 M240H machine guns. The listing also includes a broad range of integrated systems for communications, navigation, self-protection and missions such as casualty evacuation and VIP transport.
UH-60 follows NH90
In Norway, the Royal Norwegian Air Force operates the helicopter fleet of the armed forces, including for maritime missions. This currently comprises 18 light transport helicopters of the Bell 412 type, of which six are available to support special forces, as well as 16 AgustaWestland AW101 for search and rescue missions. The latter replaced the twelve old Sea Kings from 2017 onward. Originally the Norwegians wanted to replace both the Bell 412 and the Sea King with the NH90 and ordered in 2001 initially 14 of them in the naval version with the option for ten more as well as 15 tactical transport helicopters.
Although delivery was to begin in 2005, this was delayed until 2011. By 2019 only nine aircraft had been delivered and none of them in the intended role. In 2022 Norway canceled the contract due to unfulfilled performance and removed the type from service with immediate effect. In the following year, the country announced the procurement of six Sikorsky MR-60R Sea Hawks. In 2025 it then submitted the request for 21 UH-60Ms as well as six additional aircraft in the combat search-and-rescue variant HH-60W.
