January 15 (SeeNews) - The Albanian defence ministry has received two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, backed by funding assistance of over $50 million (45.6 million euro) from the United States, the U.S. embassy in Tirana said.
The aircraft, renowned for its high versatility and durability, boost the Albanian military forces’ capacity for medical evacuation, personnel recovery, search and rescue operations, and support for NATO's logistics movements during both operations and exercises, the US embassy said in a social media post on Saturday.
In April 2019, then Albanian defense minister Olta Xhacka announced that Albania would receive three Black Hawks. In 2021, however, US lieutenant colonel Erol Munir said that the number of Black Hawks would be two.
According to information on the Albanian Armed Forces website, the addition of two Black Hawk helicopters brings the total number of aircraft in the Albanian air force to ten.
UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters are produced by US-based manufacturer Sikorsky Aircraft. These helicopters comprise four blades and two engines, designed for medium-lift utility operations, such as cargo and troop transport.
($=0.913 euro)