Lithuania has formally received its first two of four UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters ordered from the US in 2020, which included additional equipment, spare parts, training, maintenance, and logistics packages, as well as an option for two more choppers.
In August 2022, the Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence announced that Lockheed Martin delivered the aircraft from its factory to a modification facility in Huntsville, Alabama, for further modernization.
Delivery was initially scheduled in 2024 but was moved to October 2025, without the manufacturer or Vilnius citing reasons for the delay.
Upon delivery, the US-made aircraft will replace the Soviet-era Mi-8 helicopters in the Lithuanian Armed Forces, as part of the country’s efforts to standardize military equipment with NATO.
Lithuanian Black Hawk
With a payload capacity of 9,000 pounds (4,082 kilograms), the versatile UH-60 Black Hawk can carry up to 12 fully-equipped troops and both internal and external loads.
According to the ministry, the aircraft “will significantly enhance the military’s combat capability, improve training quality, and enable both peacetime and combat missions to be performed faster, safer, and more accurately.”
The Black Hawks will be based at Šiauliai Air Base, the Lithuanian Air Force’s central hub, which has also hosted several NATO Baltic Air Policing deployments, The Aviationist reported.
Moreover, the acquisition will improve interoperability with NATO allies who also operate the Black Hawks, including Latvia and Croatia.
