The Portuguese Air Force took delivery of its fourth UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter this Thursday. The aircraft is intended for “combatting rural fires and projecting forces on the ground.”
The helicopter arrived on April 3 at Air Base No. 8 (BA8) in Ovar to be operated by the Air Force, according to a statement sent to the press. This marks the “fourth of nine helicopters that will equip Squadron 551 – ‘Panteras.'”
The UH-60 Black Hawk was transported aboard a Portuguese Air Force KC-390, departing from Air Base No. 11 in Beja last Monday for Dothan, Alabama, USA.
See the video above.
The aircraft returned yesterday aboard the transport, initially arriving at BA11 before proceeding to its final destination at BA8 in Ovar today. The helicopter will undergo a testing phase over the coming weeks before final acceptance by the Air Force, the statement further notes.
Quarto helicóptero UH-60 Black Hawk chegou hoje à Base Aérea N.º 8, em Ovar!
O helicóptero foi transportado num avião KC-390, da Esquadra 506, desde Dothan, Alabama, nos EUA, com pausa técnica ontem na Base Aérea N.º 11, em Beja, para esta manhã ser entregue à Base Aérea N.º 8. pic.twitter.com/eLHKzNbrLI
— Força Aérea Portuguesa (@fap_pt) April 3, 2025
The Air Force indicates that the “delivery of the remaining helicopters is scheduled by the end of 2026.”
“Currently, the crew members of Squadron 551 are undergoing essential qualifications for operating the aircraft and meeting mission requirements, with this phase expected to be completed next year. The aerial combat of rural fires and force projection on the ground demand rigorous training and qualifications for effective and safe operations,” the statement adds.
The Portuguese Air Force also highlights that the UH-60 Black Hawk can transport 12 fully equipped firefighters and has the capacity to carry up to 2,950 liters per drop. The aircraft boasts a “2.5-hour range, is a medium twin-engine utility helicopter, with an operational radius of 555 km and a maximum speed of 314 km/h.”
The communiqué recalls that, in 2018, the “Portuguese Government transferred the State’s own means for rural fire combat tasks to the Air Force. Consequently, contracts were signed for the acquisition of six UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, largely funded by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR),” noting that the “first helicopters were delivered to the Air Force in November 2023, with the third arriving in December 2024.”
Additionally, last September, the “Air Force signed a contract for the purchase of three more UH-60 Black Hawk medium firefighting helicopters through a public tender authorized by the Council of Ministers Resolution No. 27/2021, dated March 4, also funded by the PRR, thus expanding the fleet to nine.”
