Portuguese Air Force seeks additional Black Hawk helicopters

A Portuguese Air Force Black Hawk helicopter. With four more being acquired, the country will have 13 in service by the time deliveries are complete. (Portuguese Air Force)

The Portuguese Air Force (Força Aérea Portuguesa: FAP) is in the process of acquiring an additional four modernised Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk medium-lift helicopters for the aeromedical evacuation and emergency transport roles.

Interested companies have until 19 January to deliver their proposals to a EUR32 million (USD37 million) tender issued on 19 December 2025 by the Administrative and Logistic Command of the Air Force.

The four new aircraft will complement six modernised UH-60A Black Hawk aircraft purchased from United Aero Group in 2022 and three modernised UH-60L aircraft ordered from Ace Aeronautics in 2024, funded largely by the European Union's (EU's) Recovery and Resilience Facility.

The Portuguese modernised Black Hawk helicopters come with the Garmin G5000H digital cockpit suite, very-high-frequency (VHF) and ultra-high-frequency (UHF) radios, a satellite communications (satcom) terminal, and a datalink system. Different from the UH-60A, the UH-60L is equipped with a weather radar, an external rescue hoist, and provisions for electronic warfare capabilities.

Since the first nine helicopters were acquired, Portugal placed contracts to procure a wide range of equipment, including FN Herstal's light pintle systems for 7.62×51 mm medium machine guns, United Rotorcraft's Utility Helicopter Medical Mission Support System (UHMMSS), Recoil Aerospace's 800 US gal external aerial fire suppression system, Axnes' wireless intercom systems, and DART Aerospace's 10,000 lb cargo hook.

For more, please see Portugal receives first modernised UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter .