U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT APPROVES MH-60R SALE TO MEXICO
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. State Department has approved a possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to Mexico of eight MH-60R Multi-Mission helicopters for an estimated cost of $1.2 billion. Congress was notified of the required certification on April 18, 2018.
Mexico has requested the following equipment for the new helicopters: twenty (20) T-700 GE 401 C engines (16 installed and 4 spares); sixteen (16) APS-153(V) Multi-Mode radars (8 installed, 8 spares); ten (10) Airborne Low Frequency Systems (ALFS) (8 installed and 2 spares); fourteen (14) AN/APX-123 Identification Friend or Foe transponders (8 installed and 6 spares); twelve (12) AN/AAS-44C Multi-Spectral Targeting Systems Forward Looking Infrared Systems (8 installed, 4 spares); twenty (20) Embedded Global Positioning System/Inertial Navigation Systems (EGI) with Selective Availability/Anti-Spoofing Module (16 installed and 4 spares); thirty (30) AN/AVS-9 Night Vision Devices; one thousand (1,000) AN/SSQ-36/53/62 Sonobuoys; ten (10) AGM-114 Hellfire missiles; five (5) AGM-114 M36-E9 Captive Air Training missiles; four (4) AGM-114Q Hellfire training missiles; thirty eight (38) Advanced Precision Kill Weapons System (APKWS) II rockets; thirty (30) Mk -54 Lightweight Hybrid Torpedoes (LHTs); twelve (12) M-240D machine guns; twelve (12) GAU-21 Machine Guns. Also included are twelve (12) AN/ARC-220 High Frequency radios; spare engine containers; facilities study, design, and construction; spare and repair parts; support and test equipment; communication equipment; ferry support; publications and technical documentation; personnel training and training equipment; U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical and logistics support services; and other related elements of logistical and program support.
Mexico is a major operator of the UH-60M Black Hawk. Initial agreements, covering six units for the National Police, were signed in July 2009 as part of the Merida Initiative. In August 2010, the Navy ordered three units for $35.3 million. In September 2014, the Mexican Air Force ordered 26 helicopters split between a batch of 18 and a batch of eight. The batch of 18 helicopters cost $203.6 million, while the batch of eight cost $93.3 million. In December 2015, the Navy exercised a $56.4 million option for five additional UH 60Ms. The Navy ordered another two in September 2015 for $22.6 million. The most recent order came from the Air Force in April 2016 for seven aircraft worth $55 million. In total, Mexico has ordered 49 UH-60Ms, with six for the National Police, 10 for the Navy, and 33 for the Air Force.
Initial deliveries of three UH-60Ms to the Navy began in 2011. Six UH-60Ms were delivered to the Air Force in December 2015. The Navy took delivery of an additional three in February 2016. A total of 18 have been delivered, with 12 for the Air Force and six Navy. One Air Force helicopter crashed in February 2018.
MH-60Rs are navalized version of Sikorsky's UH-60/S-70 helicopter. The addition of sonobuoys and torpedoes will be vital for Mexico to monitor and police its waters to stop traffickers transporting humans and illegal narcotics.
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