The first two UH-60A Black Hawk helicopters for Albanian aviation were unloaded at the Rinas Airport near Tirana on January 13th.
The UH-60A Black Hawk helicopters were delivered to Rinas Airport via a United States C-17A, completing the first phase of the delivery process for Albania.
Supported by a $50 million US funding allocation, these helicopters, previously utilized by the US Army and offered for sale in 2019, were acquired through a contract signed between the Albanian Ministry of Defense and the Pentagon in May 2020, outlining the delivery of three UH-60A Black Hawk helicopters.
“The two Black Hawk helicopters arrived in our country as a very important investment for our Forces Armed. Special thanks to our strategic partner USA for their continued support,” said Albanian Minister of Defense, Niko Peleshi.
“The new helicopters will help strengthen the capabilities of the Albanian Air Force and the ability to carry out medical evacuation, personnel recovery, search and rescue missions, as well as support NATO’s logistical movements for operations and training. The United States is proud of the strong partnership with Albania in the field of Defense,” stated the US Embassy in Tirana.
The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk triumphed over the Boeing Vertol YUH-61 in 1976 and entered US Army service in 1979 as a tactical transport helicopter, succeeding the Bell UH-1 Iroquois. Evolving into UH-60L and UH-60M variants, the Black Hawk family has seen diverse applications in electronic warfare, special operations, and modifications for the US Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard.
