The primary two of 4 UH-60M Black Hawks ordered by the Lithuanian Air Pressure have been delivered following a $213 million order positioned in 2020.
The Lithuanian Armed Forces launched a picture by way of social media on Oct. 19, 2025 displaying off two of their new Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters for the primary time. 4 plane had been ordered in 2020, with the choice current for an additional two airframes sooner or later.
Although the airframes had been able to bear ultimate configuration works by 2022, the preliminary anticipated supply date of 2024 ended up slipping by a yr as a consequence of an unspecified delay. First of kind deliveries might be depending on many underlying components, requiring personnel to be educated from the bottom as much as function and preserve the brand new plane and the set up of amenities to help them.
Our 🇱🇹Black Hawk. UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters that we bought from the 🇺🇸US had been lately delivered from @LockheedMartin to a modification manufacturing unit in Huntsville, Alabama for additional modernisation. By this acquisition, we’re giving up our final Soviet relic – helicopters MI-8. pic.twitter.com/5xP56Buyvo
— Lithuanian MOD 🇱🇹 (@Lithuanian_MoD) August 16, 2022
A part of Lithuania’s general effort to shift its navy stock away from Russian derived or constructed platforms – now successfully unable to obtain producer help, repairs, or upgrades – and in direction of tools that’s standardized with different NATO nations, the 4 Black Hawks will change ageing Mil Mi-8 Hip transport helicopters. Lithuania has additionally lately ordered three C-390 Millennium transport plane from Embraer to function alongside its fleet of C-27J Spartans, representing a major improve within the nation’s air drive stock.
Marked as 61 Blue and 62 Blue, it’s presumed the plane are U.S. serial numbers 21-27463 and 21-27464, which have beforehand been photographed previous to supply and portray. The remaining two airframes are 21-27465 and 21-27466, more likely to turn into 63 Blue and 64 Blue.
The Black Hawks will likely be based mostly at Šiauliai Air Base, the Lithuanian Air Pressure’s central hub. Šiauliai has additionally hosted plenty of NATO Baltic Air Policing deployments.
Hen in a cage: listed below are Lithuania’s first UH-60M helicopters. The primary Black Hawks of the Lithuanian Armed Forces. The primary Black Hawks bearing the Lithuanian flag and the Cross of Vytis. pic.twitter.com/RJn6oxjaFf
— Lithuanian_Armed_Forces (@LTU_Army) October 19, 2025
Lithuanian Defence Spending
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and elevated pressures on NATO nations to contribute with defence spending, the Lithuanian authorities introduced in March 2025 that it intends to extend defence spending to between 5 and 6 % of the nations’s gross home product (GDP) between 2026 and 2030. Whereas many procurement choices stemming from this can nonetheless be of their early phases, it will probably embody a major funding in airborne capabilities.
To begin with, the main focus has been positioned on the nation’s floor forces. Becoming a member of 44 Leopard 2A8 fundamental battle tanks ordered on the tail finish of 2024 will, in keeping with a letter of intent signed in June 2025, be a fleet of CV90 armoured autos. The choice was made along with simultaneous orders positioned by Finland, Sweden, Norway, Estonia, and the Netherlands, with deliveries anticipated to start in 2028.
Trade giants Northrop Grumman and Rheinmetall have each agreed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with Lithuania almost about ammunition manufacturing, and within the case of Rheinmetall committing to the development of a brand new manufacturing plant inside the nation for 155 mm artillery ammunition. The necessity for a constant, dependable and enormous scale provide of 155 mm shells, that are the usual measurement for NATO’s largest calibre artillery items, has been a very prudent requirement as Ukraine persistently experiences a median consumption in extra of 5,000 shells per day. Not solely should NATO take up this utilization, however its member states additionally want to provide sufficient for their very own use and reserves.
New capabilities have additionally been added to current platforms. Vilkas infantry combating autos (IFVs), the native designation for the Boxer household, have now been geared up in Lithuanian service with the Spike LR2 anti-tank guided missile.
🇱🇹 Lithuania continues to modernise its armed forces – a brand new batch of Spike LR2 anti-tank missiles has been delivered.
Built-in into our Vilkas IFVs, they increase firepower and vary, sending a transparent sign of deterrence. pic.twitter.com/gnY4uo7hJz
— Lithuanian MOD 🇱🇹 (@Lithuanian_MoD) August 19, 2025
The Spike LR2 is among the newest developments of Israel’s properly regarded Spike missile household, in service from the early Nineteen Eighties, which started operational deployment within the late 2010s. The missile boasts a variety of as much as 5.5 kilometres when fired from the bottom, and has a warhead configurable for various blast results relying on the kind of goal being engaged.
Baltic neighbour Latvia has additionally ramped up its investments in its armed forces, and acquired its first examples of the UH-60M in 2022 following an order positioned in 2018. The operation of a typical kind between the 2 nations will probably profit cooperation and joint coaching.
Stronger Latvian Air Pressure — stronger #NATO.
🎯 Right this moment we opened the UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter aircrew flight coaching simulator in Lielvarde Air Base. This is a vital step to additional strengthen 🇱🇻 Air Pressure capabilities and pilot readiness.
We’re grateful to the U.S.… pic.twitter.com/hw8sDNn6LS
— Andris Spruds (@AndrisSpruds) October 17, 2025
Notably, earlier this month, a U.S.-gifted UH-60M flight simulator was formally unveiled at Latvia’s Lielvarde Air Base. The potential for joint use of this facility would offer an vital coaching help for Lithuanian crew members with out the necessity for unnecessarily replicating similar capabilities so shut collectively, the funding for which might as a substitute be directed elsewhere to supply one other functionality that can profit each nations and the broader alliance.
