On Thursday, February 23, at 11 a.m., the first two new UH-60M "Black Hawk" helicopters will be accepted in a solemn ceremony at the National Armed Forces Aviation Base in Lielvārde.
Minister of Defense Ināra Mūrniece, Commander of the National Armed Forces Lieutenant General Leonids Kalniņš, US Ambassador to Latvia Christopher Robinson, as well as Air Force Commander Colonel Viesturs Masulis will participate in the ceremony and give speeches .
It has already been reported that in September 2018, the Cabinet of Ministers supported the purchase of four new "Black Hawk" helicopters worth approximately 175 million euros, concluding an intergovernmental agreement with the USA. On December 11, 2022, the US Armed Forces delivered the first two of the four UH-60M "Black Hawk" helicopters ordered by Latvia, while the delivery of the remaining two helicopters is planned by the end of this year.
UH-60M "Black Hawk" is the most suitable helicopter for the National Armed Forces, as it is possible to perform both military and civilian tasks with them. Their multi-functional equipment enables them to perform both combat missions and search and rescue, medical evacuation, transportation, firefighting and emergency response. Black Hawk helicopters have high maneuverability, ballistic and impact resistance, as well as ease of maintenance.
Air Force pilots and technicians have participated in several training courses since 2020 to learn the operation and maintenance of these aircraft
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