TSAMTO, December 16. On December 15, the Polish Ministry of Defense Weapons Inspectorate announced the signing of a contract with Polskie Zaklady Lotniczy Mielec (PZL Mielec) for the supply of new S-70i "Black Hawk" helicopters for Special Operations Forces.
The contract value is 666 million zlotys ($162.5 million). The agreement provides for the supply of 4 S-70i helicopters with a package of material support and training of personnel. Helicopter deliveries will be completed by the end of October 2024.
As stated, "the acquisition of helicopters for Special Operations Forces is associated with the need to further develop their capabilities within the framework of fulfilling obligations to NATO." It is noted that additional helicopters will increase the mobility of special forces units in responding to asymmetric and hybrid threats, and a unified fleet will reduce the cost of training and material support.
The S-70i "Black Hawk" ordered for the Polish MTR will be made in the same configuration as the helicopters purchased in 2019. For reasons of secrecy, the details of the equipment of the ordered helicopters are not disclosed.
As reported by TSAMTO, on January 25, 2019, the Polish Ministry of Defense concluded a contract with PZL Mielec, a division of the American Sikorsky, for the supply of 4 S-70i "Black Hawk" multipurpose helicopters for the Polish MTR. The agreement worth 683.4 million zloty also included material support services, training of personnel and retrofitting the S-70i with the necessary equipment.
The helicopters were ordered in a configuration for special operations, which, in addition to the manufacturer's standard equipment, includes equipment for night flights; weapons in accordance with the requirements of the MTR; equipment for the transportation of various goods; equipment for the evacuation of the wounded; NATO-compliant communication and data exchange systems; navigation systems that meet the requirements of ICAO and NATO; helicopter and crew protection systems; ground equipment; logistics support system; flight and technical personnel training package.
All helicopters were received by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland during a ceremony held on December 20, 2019 on the territory of the 1st Transport Aviation Base at Warsaw-Okentse Airport.
In September 2021, the Council for Technical Modernization of the Polish Ministry of Defense decided to purchase 4 additional S-70i Black Hawk helicopters for Special Operations Forces.
