The Portuguese Air Force (Força Aérea Portuguesa – FAP) is moving forward with plans to further expand its medium-lift helicopter fleet, launching a tender to acquire four additional modernised Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. The new aircraft will be primarily dedicated to aeromedical evacuation (MEDEVAC) and emergency transport missions.
According to official documentation, interested companies have until 19 January to submit proposals under a tender issued on 19 December 2025 by the Administrative and Logistic Command of the Air Force. The contract is valued at €32 million (approximately USD 37 million), underlining Portugal’s continued investment in rotary-wing capabilities for both military and civil support roles.
These four helicopters will complement an already expanding Black Hawk fleet within the FAP. In 2022, Portugal acquired six modernised UH-60A Black Hawk helicopters from United Aero Group, marking the type’s introduction into Portuguese service. This was followed in 2024 by an order for three modernised UH-60L aircraft from Ace Aeronautics.
A significant portion of these acquisitions has been funded through the European Union’s Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), reflecting how dual-use military assets—especially those supporting disaster response and medical evacuation—are increasingly aligned with broader EU resilience and security objectives.
The UH-60 Black Hawk offers a proven platform for MEDEVAC operations, with the ability to operate in adverse weather, day or night, and from austere locations. For Portugal, these capabilities are particularly relevant given the country’s geography, wildfire response requirements, overseas commitments, and the need to support both civilian authorities and NATO operations when required.
While the tender does not specify a particular variant beyond “modernised” UH-60s, it suggests continuity with Portugal’s existing approach: acquiring refurbished airframes upgraded with modern avionics, mission systems, and medical configurations rather than brand-new helicopters.
Rather than pursuing a large one-time purchase, Portugal appears to be following a phased fleet-building strategy, gradually increasing numbers while standardising training, logistics, and maintenance around a single helicopter family. This approach helps control costs while delivering tangible operational improvements.
If completed, the new acquisition would bring Portugal’s UH-60 fleet to at least 13 aircraft, significantly enhancing the Air Force’s ability to conduct sustained aeromedical evacuation and emergency transport missions both at home and abroad.
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