Brazil gets go-ahead for 12 Black Hawk helicopters
Brazil has experience with Black Hawk helicopters. (Photo: Brazil Air Force)
The Brazilian Army announced in 2023 that it was aiming to replace the eight HM-3 Cougar (Airbus Helicopters AS532 UE) and four HM-2 Black Hawk helicopters (Sikorsky S-70A) that have been in service with Army Aviation Command, with the aircraft beginning to be decommissioned in December 2023.
The US State Department has approved Brazil’s request for the purchase of 12 Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters in a deal worth up to US$950 million. The deal will break down as an initial acquisition of $450 million in Major Defense Equipment and up to $500 million in other equipment and services.
Key roles planned for the Black Hawks include troop transport, border security, medical evacuation, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, search and rescue, and peacekeeping support.
Systems including 34 T700-GE-701D engines (24 installed, 10 spares), 28 EAGLE-M Embedded Global Position Systems with Inertial Navigation (EGI) or functional equivalent (24 installed, 4 spares) and 24 AN/ARC-231A radio systems were included within the deal.
Related Articles
Brazil looks for attack helicopter two years after fleet retirement
Greece goes ahead with Black Hawk order
Brazil moves ahead with second-hand Black Hawk deal
Additional C4ISR systems will include APX-123A Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) transponders, AN/ARC-231 radio systems, ARC-201D Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System (SINCGARS) or functional equivalent sand ARC-220 high-frequency airborne communication systems or functional equivalents.
Cockpit systems will include Aviation Mission Planning System, HGU-56/P Rotary Wing Helmets, Advanced Sight display computers, common display interface units, wide colour day and night display modules (WCDDM) and RDR-7000 weather radar systems.
External rescue hoists, traffic collision avoidance systems, fast rope insertion/extraction systems, EBC-406HM Emergency Locator Transmitters and internal auxiliary fuel tank system (IAFTS) will also be included.
Earlier this month, Brazilian Army commander General Tomas Miguel Mine Ribeiro Paiva noted the planned purchase was for second-hand aircraft but the price point indicated it was more likely for new aircraft. There has been no mention of the aircraft being second hand in the statement of approval.
The approval has been well foreshadowed with Shephard Defence Insight, which noted a Brazilian delegation reportedly visited the US Army Security Assistance Command in early December 2023. During the reported visit Brazilian generals got to know the latest version of the Black Hawk, the UH-60M Black Hawk, and discussed the possible purchase to be made through FMS.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
HM-3 Cougar & HM-2 Black Hawk (Replacement) [Brazil]
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Land Warfare
-
![World Defense Show 2026: Rostec unveils new infantry fighting vehicle]()
World Defense Show 2026: Rostec unveils new infantry fighting vehicle
The latest infantry fighting vehicle from Rosoboronexport draws on experience from the war in Ukraine, and is designed to be more lethal and more survivable than its predecessors.
-
![World Defense Show 2026: ST Engineering’s Rhino 4x4 set to enter service]()
World Defense Show 2026: ST Engineering’s Rhino 4x4 set to enter service
The Rhino 4x4 protected vehicle is being manufactured for an undisclosed country, likely to be Singapore, while its Agil counter-UAS C2 system is in low-rate production.
-
![World Defense Show 2026: Saudi Arabia’s record defence spend highlights uncertain times]()
World Defense Show 2026: Saudi Arabia’s record defence spend highlights uncertain times
Saudi Arabia’s investment in its land forces, notably in the area of air defence as recently as 30 January, is a sign of the challenges the Gulf State faces, particularly the threat from Houthi rebels in Yemen.
-
![Singapore Airshow 2026: ST Engineering’s Terrex s5 highlights hybrid power’s role in future warfare]()
Singapore Airshow 2026: ST Engineering’s Terrex s5 highlights hybrid power’s role in future warfare
Hybrid-electric drive technology may address the growing energy demands of land warfare in future.
-
![CAVS rides a wave and prepares for surge requirements as orders roll in]()
CAVS rides a wave and prepares for surge requirements as orders roll in
The Common Armoured Vehicle System is continuing to rack up orders as the British Army looks likely to become an operator of the vehicle, while Italy and Ireland are also contenders.
-
![US DoD task force’s DroneHunter acquisition lays groundwork for Replicator 2 CUAS strategy]()
US DoD task force’s DroneHunter acquisition lays groundwork for Replicator 2 CUAS strategy
As the US Department of Defense looks to counter the growing threat of uncrewed aerial systems to improve homeland security, the DroneHunter acquisition could point to future commercial innovation.
