Portugal orders three more firefighting Black Hawks
The Portuguese Air Force (FAP) has placed an order for three more Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawks from Ace Aeronautics
The contract was signed on 6 September – two of the helicopters are scheduled for delivery next year, with the third due to arrive in 2026.
The Black Hawks will be used to support aerial firefighting operations in the country, alongside a fleet of six previously ordered from Arista Aviation, of which, two have so far been delivered to the FAP. The air force also received delivery of two AW119 Koalas last year, and in July this year ordered two DHC-515 Canadair fixed wing craft with funds from the RescEU programme to be delivered in 2029 and 2030.
The FAP has confirmed that it plans to launch a “very rigorous” training program for its pilots by 2026 to support the introduction of the nine new Black Hawks.
Each Black Hawk is capable of transporting a team of 12 fully equipped firefighters to the site of a blaze, or conduct water drops of up to 2,950L. They are capable of maximum speeds of 314km/h, with a range of 555km, and a flight duration of 2h 30mins.
Oliver Cuenca
Oliver Cuenca is a Junior Editor at AirMed&Rescue. He was previously a News and Features Journalist for the rail magazine IRJ until 2021, and studied MA Magazine Journalism at Cardiff University. His favourite helicopter is the AW169 – the workhorse of the UK air ambulance sector! He also led the creation of Waypoint: The AirMed&Rescue podcast, serving as its Production Editor and co-host.