MEXICO REQUESTS ADDITIONAL UH-60M BLACK HAWK HELICOPTERS FROM THE U.S.
NEWTOWN, Conn. - The U.S. State Department has approved the possible sale of 18 Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters to Mexico. The deal is valued at $680 million and will include training, logistics support, and associated equipment.
The Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified Congress of the potential deal on April 17. The legislature has 30 days to agree to the deal or block it.
In addition to the aircraft, the purchase includes 40 T700-GE-701D Engines built by General Electric (36 installed and 4 spares), 42 Embedded Global Positioning Systems/Inertial Navigation Systems (36 installed and 6 spares), 36 M134 7.62mm Machine Guns, 5 Aviation Mission Planning Systems, 18 AN/AVS-9 Night Vision Goggles, and 1 Aviation Ground Power Unit. Communication security equipment would also be part of the package, including AN/ARC-210 RT-8100 series radios and Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) systems.
The aircraft would be operated by the Mexican Armed Forces to combat drug trafficking. The United States has been supplying the Mexican military with UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters under the Merida Initiative for several years now. At least 13 UH-60s have been requested by Mexico to date.