Helis, October 18, 2025 - The Lithuanian Armed Forces have officially taken delivery of their first two UH-60M Black Hawk multirole helicopters, marking a milestone in the nation’s ongoing modernization of its rotary-wing fleet.
Lithuania purchased the UH-60M Black Hawks from the U.S. Government under a 2020 intergovernmental agreement between the Ministry of National Defense and the U.S. Department of Defense. The contract covers four helicopters, along with related equipment, spare parts, training, maintenance, and logistics packages. The acquisition is valued at €181 million, with an additional €25 million contributed by the U.S. Government as military aid. The U.S. Congress has also approved the potential sale of two additional helicopters if required.
The U.S. Department of State first cleared the sale on July 6, 2020, valuing it at up to USD 380 million. Four months later, on November 13, 2020, the two nations signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) worth USD 218 million, of which USD 30 million was financed by the U.S. side. Delivery of the first pair, originally planned for late 2024, was delayed by about a year due to production and completion scheduling.
Lithuania requested the U.S. Army (USG) configuration, complete with Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) and a defensive armament package that includes twelve 7.62 mm M240H machine guns with 38,400 rounds of ammunition. These helicopters will significantly strengthen the nation’s air-mobility and support capabilities, replacing the aging Mil Mi-8T aircraft previously used by the Lithuanian Armed Forces—three of which were ex-East German Army (NVA) models.
The first two aircraft were delivered after final completion and testing at U.S. Army Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, where Lockheed Martin Sikorsky prepares export-configured Black Hawks for foreign military sales customers.
To support the new platform, a new maintenance hangar at the 1st Air Base in Šiauliai was completed in 2024 for storage and servicing operations. The second pair of UH-60Ms is expected to arrive in 2026.
In 2023, then-Minister of Defense Arvydas Anušauskas confirmed that Lithuania had transferred two Mi-8T helicopters and 40 mm Bofors L/70 anti-aircraft guns to Ukraine, further accelerating the transition to the new Black Hawk fleet.
Lithuania purchased the UH-60M Black Hawks from the U.S. Government under a 2020 intergovernmental agreement between the Ministry of National Defense and the U.S. Department of Defense. The contract covers four helicopters, along with related equipment, spare parts, training, maintenance, and logistics packages. The acquisition is valued at €181 million, with an additional €25 million contributed by the U.S. Government as military aid. The U.S. Congress has also approved the potential sale of two additional helicopters if required.
The U.S. Department of State first cleared the sale on July 6, 2020, valuing it at up to USD 380 million. Four months later, on November 13, 2020, the two nations signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) worth USD 218 million, of which USD 30 million was financed by the U.S. side. Delivery of the first pair, originally planned for late 2024, was delayed by about a year due to production and completion scheduling.
Lithuania requested the U.S. Army (USG) configuration, complete with Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) and a defensive armament package that includes twelve 7.62 mm M240H machine guns with 38,400 rounds of ammunition. These helicopters will significantly strengthen the nation’s air-mobility and support capabilities, replacing the aging Mil Mi-8T aircraft previously used by the Lithuanian Armed Forces—three of which were ex-East German Army (NVA) models.
The first two aircraft were delivered after final completion and testing at U.S. Army Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, where Lockheed Martin Sikorsky prepares export-configured Black Hawks for foreign military sales customers.
To support the new platform, a new maintenance hangar at the 1st Air Base in Šiauliai was completed in 2024 for storage and servicing operations. The second pair of UH-60Ms is expected to arrive in 2026.
In 2023, then-Minister of Defense Arvydas Anušauskas confirmed that Lithuania had transferred two Mi-8T helicopters and 40 mm Bofors L/70 anti-aircraft guns to Ukraine, further accelerating the transition to the new Black Hawk fleet.
Siauliai Intl Comments | Join community |
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| Excellent! |
| A wise choice! |
| Beautiful Aircraft! There's strong sales for UH-60M Sikorsky helicopters all across the globe. Congrats Matt! |
See also |
UH-60M Black Hawk in
Karinės oro pajėgos Lithuania’s UH-60M Black Hawks Delivered to Completion Facility
