US oks potential FMS from Latvia for UH-60M helicopters.

The US State Department approved on August 3rd a possible Foreign Military Sale to Latvia of four UH-60M Black Hawk Helicopters and related equipment for an estimated cost of $200 million, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said.

A US Army UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter assigned to the 2-149th General Support Aviation Battalion, Task Force Saber, lands at Erbil, Iraq, July 12, 2017
(Credit: U.S. Army/Capt. Stephen James)

According to the DSCA, the deal would include UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters in standard USG configuration with designated unique equipment and Government Furnished Equipment (GFE), as well ten  T700-GE-701D engines, ten Embedded Global Positioning Systems/Inertial Navigation Systems.
  
Also included is one Aviation Mission Planning System, five Talon Forward Looking Infrared Radar (FLIR), ten AN/ARC-201D/E, ten AN/ARC-231 radios, five AN/APX-123A Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) transponder, five AN/ARC-220 Radio, twenty AN/AVS-6 Helmet Mounted Night Vision Devices, and other related elements of logistics and program support.

"The sale of these UH-60 helicopters to Latvia will significantly increase its capability to provide troop lift, border security, anti-terrorist, medical evacuation, search and rescue, re-supply/external lift, and combat support in all weather. Latvia intends to use these helicopters to modernize its armed forces and expand its existing Army architecture in its efforts to provide multi-mission support in the region," the DSCA added. 

The prime contractors will be Sikorsky and General Electric Aviation Company (GEAC).