Along with the acquisition of Wheeled Armored Combat Vehicles (VCBR), another major re-equipment program for the Argentine Army is the incorporation of new medium utility helicopters. Over the past few years, various plans have been formulated, including receiving proposals from companies aiming to acquire a new aircraft that allows a qualitative leap in terms of capabilities and technology. Although still preliminary and under study, one of these proposals has recently been presented by Israeli firms, featuring the UH-60L Black Hawk.
As of today, various Israeli companies have established themselves as suppliers of equipment for the Argentine Army. Examples include the TAM 2C-A2 Program carried out with Elbit Systems, the acquisition of HERO family loitering munitions from UVsion, and the recent proposal for Spike LR2 anti-tank missiles.
Israeli companies, taking advantage of the closeness and repositioning promoted by President Javier Milei with the United States and Israel, have been presenting plans and proposals to meet the Army’s requirements in multiple areas. One of the most interesting possibilities, leveraging various factors at both local and international levels, is the potential incorporation of Black Hawk helicopters.
As previously reported, the United States Army plans to retire a total of 51 UH-60L Black Hawk helicopters by Fiscal Year 2025. Among the reasons cited in mid-March was the necessary optimization of resources, along with the incorporation of new platforms.
For the UH-60L, it was mentioned that: “The surplus Black Hawks of the U.S. Army will be offered through the various programs that the Department of Defense maintains for the disposal of material and weaponry, either through FMS (Foreign Military Sale) or EDA (Excess Defense Article). Major General Mac McCurry also detailed that with the sale of the UH-60s, they expect to raise resources, as each unit will be priced at approximately USD 2 million.”
Taking advantage of this opportunity, one of the proposals presented by Israeli companies is the acquisition of a batch of these Black Hawks, selecting the best airframes and subjecting them to an overhaul and modernization program in line with the Argentine Army’s requirements. The intention is to initially acquire ten (10) units, then proceed with a second batch of the same number, thus meeting the operational requirements of the Aviation Command for the coming years.
As of today, this is one of the possibilities being analyzed by the Army and the Ministry of Defense, while other less attractive proposals are also being evaluated. One of these is based on the incorporation of the Black Hawk from the Presidential Fleet, along with two additional units whose version and condition have not been specified.
Although this plan aims for the personnel of the Army Aviation Command to begin a familiarization process with this new platform, various sources have expressed concern that this “option” would act as a stopgap while the comprehensive modernization plan, which includes the acquisition of ten to twenty units, is put on hold awaiting better economic conditions. This possibility is related to past acquisitions, such as the case of the AS332 Super Puma, which were acquired in minimal quantities and are currently out of service awaiting replacement.
*Photographs used for illustration purposes.
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