Portugal Defence invests 40 million euros for Black Hawk helicopters
Defence News Europe - Portugal Defence invested 40 million euros for Black Hawk helicopters from US company Lockheed Martin, with the first of the four helicopters already delivered on October 25th, 2026. The four UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters ordered by Portugal Defence will perform tactical transport, force projection and extraction, military operations support, and medical evacuation missions, expanding the response capacity of the Portuguese Armed Forces. The Portuguese Air Force will host the combat helicopters at the Tancos military airfield in Santarém, that is one-hour away from Lisbon, and that will also host the future Lufthansa pilot school. Portugal´s Tancos military airfield is currently undergoing airfield requalification works.
What are Portugal´s UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters?
Portugal´s investment of 40 million euros for Black Hawk helicopters from US company Lockheed Martin is according to Decree-Law n.º 12269/2024 and includes four UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, including the cost of training, components and maintenance.
Portugal´s UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from Lockheed Martin are combat-proven and are used by the U.S. Army and allied militaries worldwide. The UH-60M model is rugged, reliable, and ready for the toughest mission challenges with powerful twin engines, a reconfigurable cabin, and 9,000 lbs. of cargo capacity. The BLACK HAWK helicopter can transport troops, deliver supplies, and fly search and rescue, even in contested environments. In the field of Combat Assault, the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters have the capacity to protect the aircraft during armed assault missions with crew served door or window guns, and armored floors.
Currently, the Portuguese Air Force is equipped with two versions of the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter: the UH-60A and the UH-60L:
The UH-60A Black Hawk is equipped with two General Electric T700-GE-700 turboshaft engines, each with a rated power of 1622 horsepower.
The UH-60L Black Hawk is equipped with two General Electric T700-GE-701 CC/D turboshaft engines, which develop 1940 horsepower. Internal fuel is stored in two impact-resistant tanks, with a total capacity of 1363 liters. The aircraft can carry up to 12 passengers in the cabin and up to 3600 kg in the UH-60A and up to 4053 kg in the UH-60L of suspended external cargo.
Portugal´s UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters feature a Garmin G5000H aircraft system, VHF and UHF communications capability, satellite and 3G/4G communications, as well as 3G/4G and satellite data reception and transmission (SBD – Short Burst Data).
The Lockheed Martin BLACK HAWK NEXT™ program is expected to increase the aircraft’s capability for the U.S. Army, with US soldiers expected to rely on the Black Hawk into the 2070s, since the upgrades will leverage investments from Future Vertical Lift (FVL) capabilities.
