US approves $1.5 billion UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter sale to Austria
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The U.S. Department of State approved a potential Foreign Military Sale to Austria on June 17, 2026, for 12 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters, 26 T700-GE-701D engines, and associated equipment at an estimated value of $1.50 billion. The defense procurement expands Austria’s existing rotary-wing fleet to improve national capabilities in disaster relief, alpine search and rescue, and domestic civil protection. By integrating advanced navigation, communication, and defensive subpackages, the acquisition ensures greater logistics and operational interoperability with both regional partners and U.S. military frameworks.
The procurement package includes 12 Sikorsky-built UH-60M helicopters powered by dual T700-GE-701D turboshaft engines that deliver a maximum speed of 294 km/h and a service ceiling of 5,800 meters. Equipment configurations specify advanced specialized mission subpackages, notably five missile warning systems, five infrared countermeasures, and thirty Eagle-M+429 navigation units tailored for complex alpine terrain operations.
Related topic: New Zealand to purchase five MH-60R Seahawk helicopters following $1.5 billion US approval
The proposed sale of twelve UH-60M helicopters would significantly expand Austria’s Black Hawk fleet, which already includes 9 S-70A-42 Black Hawks. (Picture source: US DoD)
On June 17, 2026, the U.S. Department of State approved a potential U.S. Foreign Military Sale to Austria for 12 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters, 26 T700-GE-701D engines, and associated equipment, with an estimated value of $1.50 billion. Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, will be the principal contractor. The proposed sale would expand Austria’s Black Hawk helicopter fleet, which already includes 9 S-70A-42 Black Hawks. Austria first turned to the Black Hawk after the 1999 Galtür avalanche exposed limits in national helicopter lift during large-scale disaster response, and the new UH-60M package continues that pattern by combining military airlift, rescue, civil protection, medical evacuation, and selected higher-threat mission equipment in one acquisition.
The UH-60M has a crew of four and can transport 11 to 12 fully equipped troops, or be configured for medical evacuation missions carrying up to six litters. The helicopter measures 19.76 m in overall length, with a fuselage length of 15.43 m, a height of between 5.13 m and 5.33 m, a main rotor diameter of 16.36 m, and a tail rotor diameter of 3.35 m. Depending on the configuration, empty weight ranges from 4,819 kg to 5,674 kg, while maximum takeoff weight reaches 9,979 kg. The UH-60M can carry up to 4,080 kg of internal cargo or 4,082 kg as an external sling load, with a useful load of 3,121 kg. This is particularly relevant for Austrian operations in mountainous terrain, where helicopters are routinely used to transport rescue personnel, troops, medical teams, engineering equipment, relief supplies, and firefighting assets into areas with limited or disrupted ground access.
The propulsion subpackage consists of 26 General Electric T700-GE-701D turboshaft engines. Each UH-60M is powered by two of these engines, generating approximately 2,000 shaft horsepower each for a combined installed output of about 4,000 shp per helicopter. Of the 26 engines included in the package, 24 would be installed in the 12 aircraft and 2 retained as spares. Thanks to those engines, the UH-60M reaches a maximum speed of approximately 294 km/h, a cruise speed of 280 to 282 km/h, an operational range of roughly 510 to 590 km, and a ferry range reaching 2,221 km when configured for long-distance transit. The aircraft is also rated for a service ceiling of 5,800 m (19,000 ft), a hover ceiling in ground effect of 3,206 m, and a rate of climb of 502 m per minute (1,646 ft/min).
The defensive suite indicates that Austria is not equipping all 12 helicopters to the same survivability level. The package includes 5 AN/AAR-57 missile warning systems, 5 Common Infrared Countermeasure systems, 5 AN/APR-39E(V)2 radar warning receivers, AVR-2B laser warning sets, and ballistic armor protection. The AN/AAR-57 detects missile launches, the CIRCM uses directed infrared energy against heat-seeking missiles, the AN/APR-39E(V)2 warns against radar emitters, the AVR-2B warns against laser rangefinders or laser designators, and the ballistic armor protects the crew and passengers from small arms fire and fragments. The quantities, subsequently, point to a mixed fleet, with selected UH-60Ms configured for coalition, evacuation, special operations, or crisis missions, while the rest of the fleet focuses on transport, rescue, and domestic operations.
The navigation and flight safety equipment is closely aligned with Austrian operating conditions, especially Alpine terrain, winter weather, and low-visibility approaches. The package includes Eagle-M+429 navigation systems, AN/APN-209 radar altimeters, Helicopter Terrain Awareness and Warning Systems (HTAWS), degraded visual environment systems, Improved Heads Up Displays (IHUD), color weather radar, VOR/ILS receivers, ADF receivers, and TACAN receivers. The Eagle-M provides GPS and inertial navigation with M-Code resilience, while the radar altimeter gives height above ground rather than only altitude above sea level. HTAWS warns against terrain, the DVE system helps in brownout, whiteout, snow, dust, smoke, and fog, and the IHUD reduces the need for pilots to look down during high-workload flight.
Weather radar supports storm and precipitation avoidance, while VOR/ILS, ADF, and TACAN systems retain compatibility with civil and military navigation infrastructure. For Austria, these systems are directly connected to night flying, winter landings, mountain rescue, confined landing zones, and missions in valleys where terrain and weather can change rapidly. The communications and identification package includes 30 AN/ARC-231A radios, AN/ARC-201D SINCGARS radios, Link 16 KOR-24A terminals, APX-128 Identification Friend or Foe transponders, AN/PYQ-10 key loaders, and KIV-79 cryptographic computers.
The ARC-231A provides VHF, UHF, and SATCOM communications, giving crews line-of-sight and beyond-line-of-sight channels, while the ARC-201D connects the Black Hawk with ground forces through SINCGARS. Link 16 allows the exchange of tactical position and situational data, APX-128 IFF identifies the helicopter to friendly air defense and air traffic systems, and the cryptographic equipment supports secure communications and identification. This matters because Austrian Black Hawks may have to coordinate with soldiers, police, firefighters, rescue teams, air traffic controllers, NATO partners, and other coalition forces during the same mission set. In mountainous terrain, SATCOM also reduces dependence on line-of-sight radio paths that can be blocked by ridgelines.
The sensor and mission-awareness equipment includes the MX-10D electro-optical and infrared turret, which provides day and night imagery, with infrared capability supporting night search, surveillance, and rescue. Its laser rangefinder and laser designator support target location and designation, while the DF-935 direction finder helps locate radio signals, distress transmissions, or units transmitting in the field. Sling-load observation capability allows the crew to monitor external cargo during lift, reducing the risk created by swinging loads, fouled lines, or unstable cargo. These systems increase the UH-60M’s value in rescue searches, reconnaissance, disaster assessment, landing-zone checks, and special operations support.
For civil protection, the same sensor package can help identify flood damage, avalanche zones, fire lines, blocked routes, and isolated people before ground teams arrive. The mission kits included in the sale allow the same helicopter type to move between rescue, MEDEVAC, firefighting, transport, and special operations roles without requiring separate Black Hawk fleets. The package includes external rescue hoists, rescue hoist equipment sets, Fast Rope Insertion and Extraction Systems (FRIES), dual patient litter systems, Bambi bucket provisions, snow ski provisions, cargo hook scales, auxiliary fuel tanks, a VIP kit, and utility power outlets.
The hoist supports mountain, flood, and rooftop rescue when the UH-60M cannot land, while the FRIES allows personnel insertion in confined or hostile areas where landing is not possible. The dual litter system converts the cabin for two stretcher patients, Bambi bucket provisions enable firefighting support, snow ski provisions support winter landings, and the cargo hook scale improves external load safety by helping crews remain within load limits. Auxiliary fuel tanks extend endurance, the VIP kit supports official transport, and cabin power outlets support mission equipment, medical devices, radios, and electronic systems used by embarked personnel. Additionally, the weapons, training, and sustainment portion shows that the acquisition is logically meant to create a functioning force structure.
Austria requested M134 miniguns and spares, helmets, a Black Hawk Aircrew Trainer, training devices, spare parts, tools, test equipment, publications, technical support, and logistics support. The M134 miniguns provide door-gun suppressive fire for selected military missions, while helmets connect crew protection with communications, night flying, and cockpit integration. The Black Hawk Aircrew Trainer and other training devices reduce pressure on flying hours and allow crews to practice emergencies, hoist procedures, degraded visual environment operations, navigation failures, and mission coordination without using operational airframes. Spare parts, tools, and test equipment will determine whether the 12 UH-60M helicopters can remain available after delivery, as availability depends on maintenance throughput, diagnostics, repair capacity, and supply depth.
Written by Jérôme Brahy
Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.
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The U.S. Department of State approved a potential Foreign Military Sale to Austria on June 17, 2026, for 12 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters, 26 T700-GE-701D engines, and associated equipment at an estimated value of $1.50 billion. The defense procurement expands Austria’s existing rotary-wing fleet to improve national capabilities in disaster relief, alpine search and rescue, and domestic civil protection. By integrating advanced navigation, communication, and defensive subpackages, the acquisition ensures greater logistics and operational interoperability with both regional partners and U.S. military frameworks.
The procurement package includes 12 Sikorsky-built UH-60M helicopters powered by dual T700-GE-701D turboshaft engines that deliver a maximum speed of 294 km/h and a service ceiling of 5,800 meters. Equipment configurations specify advanced specialized mission subpackages, notably five missile warning systems, five infrared countermeasures, and thirty Eagle-M+429 navigation units tailored for complex alpine terrain operations.
Related topic: New Zealand to purchase five MH-60R Seahawk helicopters following $1.5 billion US approval
The proposed sale of twelve UH-60M helicopters would significantly expand Austria’s Black Hawk fleet, which already includes 9 S-70A-42 Black Hawks. (Picture source: US DoD)
On June 17, 2026, the U.S. Department of State approved a potential U.S. Foreign Military Sale to Austria for 12 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters, 26 T700-GE-701D engines, and associated equipment, with an estimated value of $1.50 billion. Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, will be the principal contractor. The proposed sale would expand Austria’s Black Hawk helicopter fleet, which already includes 9 S-70A-42 Black Hawks. Austria first turned to the Black Hawk after the 1999 Galtür avalanche exposed limits in national helicopter lift during large-scale disaster response, and the new UH-60M package continues that pattern by combining military airlift, rescue, civil protection, medical evacuation, and selected higher-threat mission equipment in one acquisition.
The UH-60M has a crew of four and can transport 11 to 12 fully equipped troops, or be configured for medical evacuation missions carrying up to six litters. The helicopter measures 19.76 m in overall length, with a fuselage length of 15.43 m, a height of between 5.13 m and 5.33 m, a main rotor diameter of 16.36 m, and a tail rotor diameter of 3.35 m. Depending on the configuration, empty weight ranges from 4,819 kg to 5,674 kg, while maximum takeoff weight reaches 9,979 kg. The UH-60M can carry up to 4,080 kg of internal cargo or 4,082 kg as an external sling load, with a useful load of 3,121 kg. This is particularly relevant for Austrian operations in mountainous terrain, where helicopters are routinely used to transport rescue personnel, troops, medical teams, engineering equipment, relief supplies, and firefighting assets into areas with limited or disrupted ground access.
The propulsion subpackage consists of 26 General Electric T700-GE-701D turboshaft engines. Each UH-60M is powered by two of these engines, generating approximately 2,000 shaft horsepower each for a combined installed output of about 4,000 shp per helicopter. Of the 26 engines included in the package, 24 would be installed in the 12 aircraft and 2 retained as spares. Thanks to those engines, the UH-60M reaches a maximum speed of approximately 294 km/h, a cruise speed of 280 to 282 km/h, an operational range of roughly 510 to 590 km, and a ferry range reaching 2,221 km when configured for long-distance transit. The aircraft is also rated for a service ceiling of 5,800 m (19,000 ft), a hover ceiling in ground effect of 3,206 m, and a rate of climb of 502 m per minute (1,646 ft/min).
The defensive suite indicates that Austria is not equipping all 12 helicopters to the same survivability level. The package includes 5 AN/AAR-57 missile warning systems, 5 Common Infrared Countermeasure systems, 5 AN/APR-39E(V)2 radar warning receivers, AVR-2B laser warning sets, and ballistic armor protection. The AN/AAR-57 detects missile launches, the CIRCM uses directed infrared energy against heat-seeking missiles, the AN/APR-39E(V)2 warns against radar emitters, the AVR-2B warns against laser rangefinders or laser designators, and the ballistic armor protects the crew and passengers from small arms fire and fragments. The quantities, subsequently, point to a mixed fleet, with selected UH-60Ms configured for coalition, evacuation, special operations, or crisis missions, while the rest of the fleet focuses on transport, rescue, and domestic operations.
The navigation and flight safety equipment is closely aligned with Austrian operating conditions, especially Alpine terrain, winter weather, and low-visibility approaches. The package includes Eagle-M+429 navigation systems, AN/APN-209 radar altimeters, Helicopter Terrain Awareness and Warning Systems (HTAWS), degraded visual environment systems, Improved Heads Up Displays (IHUD), color weather radar, VOR/ILS receivers, ADF receivers, and TACAN receivers. The Eagle-M provides GPS and inertial navigation with M-Code resilience, while the radar altimeter gives height above ground rather than only altitude above sea level. HTAWS warns against terrain, the DVE system helps in brownout, whiteout, snow, dust, smoke, and fog, and the IHUD reduces the need for pilots to look down during high-workload flight.
Weather radar supports storm and precipitation avoidance, while VOR/ILS, ADF, and TACAN systems retain compatibility with civil and military navigation infrastructure. For Austria, these systems are directly connected to night flying, winter landings, mountain rescue, confined landing zones, and missions in valleys where terrain and weather can change rapidly. The communications and identification package includes 30 AN/ARC-231A radios, AN/ARC-201D SINCGARS radios, Link 16 KOR-24A terminals, APX-128 Identification Friend or Foe transponders, AN/PYQ-10 key loaders, and KIV-79 cryptographic computers.
The ARC-231A provides VHF, UHF, and SATCOM communications, giving crews line-of-sight and beyond-line-of-sight channels, while the ARC-201D connects the Black Hawk with ground forces through SINCGARS. Link 16 allows the exchange of tactical position and situational data, APX-128 IFF identifies the helicopter to friendly air defense and air traffic systems, and the cryptographic equipment supports secure communications and identification. This matters because Austrian Black Hawks may have to coordinate with soldiers, police, firefighters, rescue teams, air traffic controllers, NATO partners, and other coalition forces during the same mission set. In mountainous terrain, SATCOM also reduces dependence on line-of-sight radio paths that can be blocked by ridgelines.
The sensor and mission-awareness equipment includes the MX-10D electro-optical and infrared turret, which provides day and night imagery, with infrared capability supporting night search, surveillance, and rescue. Its laser rangefinder and laser designator support target location and designation, while the DF-935 direction finder helps locate radio signals, distress transmissions, or units transmitting in the field. Sling-load observation capability allows the crew to monitor external cargo during lift, reducing the risk created by swinging loads, fouled lines, or unstable cargo. These systems increase the UH-60M’s value in rescue searches, reconnaissance, disaster assessment, landing-zone checks, and special operations support.
For civil protection, the same sensor package can help identify flood damage, avalanche zones, fire lines, blocked routes, and isolated people before ground teams arrive. The mission kits included in the sale allow the same helicopter type to move between rescue, MEDEVAC, firefighting, transport, and special operations roles without requiring separate Black Hawk fleets. The package includes external rescue hoists, rescue hoist equipment sets, Fast Rope Insertion and Extraction Systems (FRIES), dual patient litter systems, Bambi bucket provisions, snow ski provisions, cargo hook scales, auxiliary fuel tanks, a VIP kit, and utility power outlets.
The hoist supports mountain, flood, and rooftop rescue when the UH-60M cannot land, while the FRIES allows personnel insertion in confined or hostile areas where landing is not possible. The dual litter system converts the cabin for two stretcher patients, Bambi bucket provisions enable firefighting support, snow ski provisions support winter landings, and the cargo hook scale improves external load safety by helping crews remain within load limits. Auxiliary fuel tanks extend endurance, the VIP kit supports official transport, and cabin power outlets support mission equipment, medical devices, radios, and electronic systems used by embarked personnel. Additionally, the weapons, training, and sustainment portion shows that the acquisition is logically meant to create a functioning force structure.
Austria requested M134 miniguns and spares, helmets, a Black Hawk Aircrew Trainer, training devices, spare parts, tools, test equipment, publications, technical support, and logistics support. The M134 miniguns provide door-gun suppressive fire for selected military missions, while helmets connect crew protection with communications, night flying, and cockpit integration. The Black Hawk Aircrew Trainer and other training devices reduce pressure on flying hours and allow crews to practice emergencies, hoist procedures, degraded visual environment operations, navigation failures, and mission coordination without using operational airframes. Spare parts, tools, and test equipment will determine whether the 12 UH-60M helicopters can remain available after delivery, as availability depends on maintenance throughput, diagnostics, repair capacity, and supply depth.
Written by Jérôme Brahy
Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.
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• Land Defense News
• Naval Defense News
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