Brazil Requests UH-60L Black Hawks
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“Colombia Orders 15 Second-Hand UH-60L Helicopters, Saves Some Money” – and they did, $225 million for 15 second-hand UH-60L helicopters. That’s partly because the helicopters are second-hand, and partly because Colombia already operates a number of UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. Brazil has now made a pair of requests for UH-60Ls to fulfill its strategic commitments for search and rescue, air mobility, “and provide for the defense of vital installations and close air support for ground forces.” Their purchases are rather more expensive, however.
a billion-dollar deal with Eurocopter made the Eurocopter Cougar Brazil’s standard medium helicopter across all 3 services. Nonetheless, the UH-60 seems to be carving out its own niche in Brazil. Flown by the Army Avicao do Exercito’s Falcao Negro squadron, and by the Forca Aerea Brazileira’s 7/8 “Harpia” air group, both based in Manaus, these S-70 and H-60L Pave Hawk helicopters are used in Amazon basin search and rescue operations, humanitarian relief, and anti-drug efforts.
DSCA requests are not the same thing as signed contracts, but an October 2008 announcement seems to close out the June 2007 DSCA request…
Contracts and Key Events
Oct 2/08: Brazil’s Air Force reports [Portuguese] receipt of 6 Black Hawk helicopters with extended range fuel tanks and advanced sensors. The helicopters were delivered to the 7/8 aviation group “Harpias” at Manaus.
This would seem to close out the June 29/07 DSCA request.
Sept 29/08: The US DSCA announces [PDF] Brazil’s formal request to buy UH-60L helicopters with 30 T-700-GE-701C engines, 2 spare T-700-GE-701C engines, external and internal fuel tanks, warranty, internal and external hoist kits, weather radar, spare and repair parts, tools and support equipment, publications and technical data, personnel training and training equipment, contractor engineering and technical support services and other related elements of logistics support. The estimated cost is $525 million.
This would appear to replace the June 2007 request, which has not been followed by a Sikorsky release, or a DefenseLINK contract announcement.
The principal contractors will be: Sikorsky Aircraft (United Technologies) Corporation of Stratford, CT and General Electric Engines of Lynn, MA. There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale, and implementation will require the assignment of two contractor representatives to Brazil for a period of up to 2 years.
April 1/08: A Sikorsky release identifies Brazil’s S-70s as HH-60 Pave Hawk equivalents. The Pave Hawk is a more expensive special forces and search and rescue variant of the basic Black Hawk helicopter, with an air-air refueling boom and additional equipment. See: “Hope During Bolivian Floods: BLACK HAWK Helicopters Lent Recent Support and Are Familiar Sight in Latin America”
June 29/07: The US DSCA has announced this request [PDF format]; it involves 6 UH-60L Black Hawk helicopters (UH-60M is the new variant, but these UH-60L helicopters will also be new-build) with 12 T-700-GE-701C engines, 2 spare T-700-GE-701C engines, warranties, external hoist kits, spare and repair parts, tools and support equipment, publications and technical data, personnel training and training equipment, contractor engineering and technical support services and other related elements of logistics support.
The total value, if all options are exercised, could be as high as $300 million; and the contractors will be United Technologies subsidiary Sikorsky Aircraft of Stratford, CT and General Electric Engines of Lynn, MA. There are no proposed industrial offsets, and implementation of this proposed sale may require the assignment of 2 contractor representatives to Brazil for a period of up to 2 years.
The are also rumors that Brazil’s Navy is looking at a purchase of SH-60 Seahawk helicopters, but that is not part of this order. Hopefully, at some point Brazil’s armed forces will pool their Black Hawk support infrastructure, or set up a center of excellence.
