25 March 2021

Sikorsky contracted to deliver 25 Black Hawk helos to Saudi Arabia

by Gareth Jennings

Saudi Arabia is to receive Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk utility helicopters valued at USD99.8 million.

Sikorsky has been contracted to deliver 17 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters to Saudi Arabia. It is unclear if these are additional or previously announced helicopters. (US Army)

The deal, which was announced by the US Department of Defense (DoD) on 24 March, covers 25 ‘modified’ UH-60M helicopters for the Saudi Arabian National Guard (SANG). Work is set to be complete by 31 October 2024.

As with a previous order for 17 UH-60Ms for the SANG and Royal Saudi Land Forces Airborne Special Security Forces (RSLFASSF) announced in January 2018, it is unclear if this deal represents additional or previously announced platforms. Certainly, the unit value of USD3.9 million per helicopter suggests that the contract could be for mission modifications rather than for fully missioned helicopters (the same was true for the 2018 order, which amounted to USD11.4 per platform).

Lockheed Martin has previously told Janes that the 2018 helicopters were not included in the USD3.8 billion US Army multi-year contract announced in July 2017 that included 40 UH-60M and 75 HH-60M medical evacuation Black Hawks for the SANG. Those helicopters are due to be delivered by 30 June 2022, and this latest order is in addition to that multi-year award. Neither do they form part of the letter of intent that Lockheed Martin signed with local firm Taqnia in May 2017 for up to 150 S-70i helicopters for various Saudi government agencies.

Given the many different air arms functioning within the Saudi armed forces it is difficult to say precisely how many UH-60Ms have been ordered, delivered, and are planned for the SANG, the RSLFASSF, or the Royal Saudi Land Forces (RSLF), which also operates the type. Lockheed Martin has previously been unable to provide

Saudi Arabia is to receive Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk utility helicopters valued at USD99.8 million.

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