PZL Mielec, a Lockheed Martin company, delivered the first four new-generation, European manufactured S-70M Black Hawk utility helicopters to Romania’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, with two more aircraft on schedule to arrive by the end of 2023.

Purchased as part of the European Union’s VISION 2020 project, the intended missions for Romania’s new Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopters include maritime and land search and rescue, firefighting, transport and medical emergency support.

An additional Black Hawk, procured within the European HeliPol project, is scheduled for delivery before the end of the year and is allocated for the Romanian Police, increasing its operational capacity.

The helicopters are part of a framework agreement that will see up to 12 Polish-built S-70M Black Hawks supplied to Romania over the next four years.  

“The Black Hawk helicopters delivered to Romania will provide increased readiness when responding to emergency situations” – said Dennis Goege, vice president for Central and Eastern Europe at Lockheed Martin. “The S-70 Black Hawk helicopter, designed to demanding military standards, is a dual-purpose platform that is ideal for challenging long-range and high-altitude missions ranging from disaster relief, search and rescue, medical transport, external cargo transport, firefighting and maritime patrol.”