The Brazilian Army is expected to order 12 UH-60 Black Hawk multi-mission helicopters, manufactured by Sikorsky. The information was revealed by Brazilian media recently, but has not yet been confirmed by the government.
According to the Tecnologia e Defesa, the new helicopters will replace eight Airbus AS532 UE Cougar models (designated as HM-3) received in 2002 and four UH-60L Black Hawk (HM-2) received in 1997.
The 12 helicopters are technologically outdated and would have a high maintenance cost. The decommissioning process has already been decided to take place between 2024 and 2029.
The outlet cites that deliveries should begin in 2025 and will be made via the US government’s Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program, but there are other sources stating that Sikorsky will only deliver the first helicopters in 2028.
Follow ADN: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
The four Black Hawks operated by the Brazilian Army are based at the 4th Army Aviation Battalion (4th BAvEx), headquartered in Manaus, and carry out territorial surveillance missions in the Amazon. Helicopters are equipped with racks for carrying weapons and extra fuel tanks.
