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
You may also like
More from Land Warfare
-
![Ukraine and NATO look to industry to boost capability plans]()
Ukraine and NATO look to industry to boost capability plans
The Ukraine-Russia war has highlighted the force-multiplying capability of innovation and adaptation of industry and individual companies. NATO is attempting to introduce this flexibility while Ukraine is accelerating these efforts and looking for industrial support.
-
![DVD2026: Connected for Combat]()
DVD2026: Connected for Combat
As the land equipment sector prepares for the premier biennial event at UTAC Millbrook on 16 and 17 September 2026, the narrative for this year’s exhibition has officially been set: Connected for Combat - Aligning People, Systems and Decisions.
-
![Artillery lessons from the war in Ukraine spotlight future capability priorities]()
Artillery lessons from the war in Ukraine spotlight future capability priorities
The war in Ukraine has shown that artillery is still a vital tool in modern war. However, on a rapidly changing battlefield, there are a number of lessons from Ukraine about how artillery can be used in modern conflict.
-
![Drone Summit turns spotlight on smaller companies and new uncrewed systems]()
Drone Summit turns spotlight on smaller companies and new uncrewed systems
The Drone Summit saw more than 100 companies from 20 countries, including Latvia, Australia, Canada and Israel, presenting uncrewed surveillance and attack platforms. The event came just weeks after drones, believed to be Russian, invaded Latvia’s airspace.
-
![Tactical connectivity built for contested environments]()
Tactical connectivity built for contested environments
Modern tactical operations depend on resilient connectivity that can survive congestion, jamming, and rapidly evolving electronic warfare.
-
![May land forces roundup: counter-drone systems move up the agenda]()
May land forces roundup: counter-drone systems move up the agenda
There has been a drive towards uncrewed aerial systems and defeating them in recent weeks, with NATO exercises addressing the danger, new systems unveiled and a new Latvian counter-drone unit stood up following recent incursions.
