The US State Department has approved a potential sale of 21 Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters to Norway, according to a government notification published last week.
The Foreign Military Sale, notified to the US Congress on August 21, has an estimated maximum value of US$2.3 billion. It includes 21 helicopters, 46 GE Aerospace T700-GE-701D engines, defensive systems, communications equipment, weapons, training, spares and logistical support.
The package is configured for a broad range of missions. Equipment requested by Norway includes AN/AAR-57 missile warning systems, Common Infrared Countermeasures, radar and laser warning systems, Link 16 terminals, MX-10D electro-optical/infrared sensors, rescue hoists, fast-rope equipment, auxiliary fuel tanks, ballistic protection and winterization equipment. The proposed armament includes M240H and M134 machine guns.
According to the US government, the UH-60Ms would improve Norway’s rotary-wing capability and allow the Norwegian Army and Special Operations Forces to conduct missions using a common platform.
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The congressional notification does not represent a signed contract, and the final number of helicopters and value can change during negotiations.
From HH-60W to UH-60M
The UH-60M proposal also marks a change from Norway’s previous plans. In 2025, the US approved a potential Norwegian purchase of nine HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopters for an estimated US$2.6 billion. The HH-60W is a highly specialized Black Hawk derivative developed primarily for combat search and rescue.
Norway subsequently decided not to proceed with that plan. The new request instead covers 21 UH-60Ms, more than twice as many aircraft and based on the standard multirole version currently produced for the US Army and international customers.
Norway currently relies on 18 Bell 412 helicopters for Army and special operations support. Those aircraft have been in service for more than three decades and are undergoing upgrades while the country prepares their replacement.
If the acquisition proceeds, Norway would also join neighboring Sweden as a UH-60M operator. Sweden already operates the Black Hawk and has ordered additional aircraft.
NH90 experience led Norway toward Seahawk
The Black Hawk acquisition is separate from another major change underway in Norway’s helicopter fleet, but both developments increasingly center the country’s rotary-wing capabilities around US-built aircraft.
Norway terminated its NH90 contract in June 2022 after years of delays and poor availability. The country had ordered 14 NH90s for Coast Guard and anti-submarine missions, but concluded that the fleet would not be able to meet operational requirements even with additional investment.
The dispute with NHIndustries continued for more than three years before the two sides reached a settlement in November 2025. Under the agreement, the manufacturer agreed to take back the helicopters, spare parts and associated equipment and pay Norway €305 million, in addition to approximately €70 million previously received through bank guarantees.
For the maritime role, Norway had already selected another member of the Sikorsky H-60 family. Six MH-60R Seahawks were ordered in 2023 to restore part of the capability lost with the NH90 withdrawal, with the aircraft intended initially for Coast Guard operations and prepared for anti-submarine equipment.
The proposed UH-60M purchase therefore would not directly replace the NH90. Instead, it would mean that Norway has independently selected two variants of the same US helicopter family for different requirements: the MH-60R for maritime operations and the UH-60M for Army and special operations missions.
