Aerotrend.com

The U.S. has approved a possible foreign military sale (FMS) of up to 21 UH-60M Black Hawks to Norway plus spares and associated equipment for $2.3 billion. 

Just months after Norway reneged on its plan to acquire nine HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopters, which was approved by the U.S. Department of State in 2025, the Scandinavian country is now setting its eyes upon a larger order of the less-specialised but widely popular Lockheed Martin/Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk. 

Approved for up to 21 UH-60Ms alongside 46 of its General Electric T700-GE-701D powerplants, the proposed deal also includes 25 sets of AN/AAR-57 Common Missile Warning Systems, Common Infrared Countermeasures (CIRCM), and AN/APR-39E(V)2 Radar Warning Receivers. 

Proven and pioneering with unparalleled speed, performance and reliability, our Common Infrared Countermeasures (CIRCM) maximizes aircraft survivability and protects warfighters in the most challenging environments.

Discover more about CIRCM: https://t.co/gPUDBI482F pic.twitter.com/CeQLrjV37Q

— Northrop Grumman (@northropgrumman) February 26, 2026

If the purchase goes through, the Black Hawks are most likely to supplant the Royal Norwegian Air Force’s 18 strong fleet of Bell 412s, which have been in service for over thirty years. These have been undergoing a mid-life upgrade (MLU) program in order to extend their expected service lives. 

Norwegian & U.S. special forces from @US_SOCEUR teamed up for joint training in Troms, Norway. Strengthening ties and practicing personnel recovery behind enemy lines. Norwegian Bell 412 helicopters in action. : Nicholas Moyte, U.S. Army. #AdamantSerpent #StrongerTogether pic.twitter.com/1Y8IH6GcUf

— Norwegian Armed Forces | Forsvaret (@Forsvaret_no) October 5, 2023

Notably, the Black Hawks will share the same basic powerplant as the service’s AW101 Merlins, which are used primarily for search and rescue duties. There will also be a high degree of commonality with the Royal Norwegian Navy’s MH-60R Seahawks.

The long-rumored potential purchase of additional AW101s by Norway in an anti-submarine warfare configuration would also share the T700 powerplant. Although the helicopters are envisioned to be very similar to the Royal Navy’s examples, new AW101 airframes are no longer produced with the Rolls-Royce Turbomeca RTM322s used by UK Merlins.

Norway’s cold climate, with significant amounts of territory within the Arctic Circle, means that snow skis for the aircraft’s landing gear are included among the additional specified equipment in the approval. Other equipment includes bambi buckets for aerial firefighting, litters for casualty evacuation, fast rope insertion equipment, external fuel tanks, MX-10D electro-optical/infrared camera turrets, M240H machine guns, and M134 miniguns. 

A U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk in Alaska fitted with snow skis. | Source: U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Michael Risinger

LINK-16 datalink terminals will be fitted to the aircraft, allowing secure data communications with other Norwegian and allied units. Norway already employs LINK-16 on a range of its equipment, and the nation has participated in testing of new capabilities using the NATO-standard protocol.

The Department of State’s approval notice stated that the sale “will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a NATO Ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in Europe.”

“The proposed sale will improve Norway’s capability to meet current and future threats and enhance its interoperability with U.S. and other allied forces. It will also upgrade Norway’s rotary wing capability, allowing Norwegian Army and Special Operations Forces to independently conduct operations while taking advantage of a common platform across the fleet,” it adds.

No comment is yet apparent from Norway acknowledging the approval. The sale will still be subject to final confirmation and contractual arrangements. 

A decidedly frosty Swedish UH-60M in #Älvdalen (central Sweden). The not-perhaps-completely-objective pilot argues it is nicest piece of kit of the Swedish Air Force #UH60 #Blackhawk https://t.co/lmggOdWYD1

— Corporal Frisk (@CorporalFrisk) November 30, 2021

Norway’s neighbour, Sweden, is a current operator of the UH-60M and in 2024 expanded upon their initial purchase of 15 airframes with an order for 12 additional helicopters. 

Despite making its first flight over 50 years ago, the UH-60 continues to receive massive amounts of investment to ensure it remains effective for modern military forces, and even as the U.S. Army looks towards the MV-75 Cheyenne II as a successor it is clear that the UH-60 and its array of derivatives will remain a solid workhorse for years to come.