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 through social media on Oct. 19, 2025 exhibiting off two of their new Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters for the primary time. 4 plane have been ordered in 2020, with the choice current for an extra two airframes sooner or later.
Although the airframes have been able to bear remaining configuration works by 2022, the preliminary anticipated supply date of 2024 ended up slipping by a yr attributable to an unspecified delay. First of kind deliveries could be depending on many underlying elements, requiring personnel to be educated from the bottom as much as function and keep the brand new plane and the set up of amenities to assist them.
Our 🇱🇹Black Hawk. UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters that we bought from the 🇺🇸US have been just lately delivered from @LockheedMartin to a modification manufacturing facility 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 total effort to shift its army stock away from Russian derived or constructed platforms – now successfully unable to obtain producer assist, repairs, or upgrades – and in the direction of gear that’s standardized with different NATO nations, the 4 Black Hawks will change ageing Mil Mi-8 Hip transport helicopters. Lithuania has additionally just lately ordered three C-390 Millennium transport plane from Embraer to function alongside its fleet of C-27J Spartans, representing a big enhance 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 change into 63 Blue and 64 Blue.
The Black Hawks might be primarily based 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 here 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 p.c of the nations’s gross home product (GDP) between 2026 and 2030. Whereas many procurement selections stemming from this may nonetheless be of their early phases, it might possible embrace a big funding in airborne capabilities.
To start with, the main target has been positioned on the nation’s floor forces. Becoming a member of 44 Leopard 2A8 foremost battle tanks ordered on the tail finish of 2024 will, in line with a letter of intent signed in June 2025, be a fleet of CV90 armoured autos. The choice was made along side 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 huge scale provide of 155 mm shells, that are the usual dimension for NATO’s largest calibre artillery items, has been a very prudent requirement as Ukraine persistently studies 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 supply 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 outfitted 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 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 possible profit cooperation and joint coaching.
Stronger Latvian Air Pressure — stronger #NATO.
🎯 Immediately we opened the UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter aircrew flight coaching simulator in Lielvarde Air Base. This is a crucial 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 necessary coaching assist for Lithuanian crew members with out the necessity for unnecessarily replicating an identical capabilities so shut collectively, the funding for which may as an alternative be directed elsewhere to supply one other functionality that may profit each nations and the broader alliance.
