US approves possible $2.3bn Black Hawk sale to Norway despite delayed order

The US State Department has approved a possible foreign military sale of 21 Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters to Norway, valued at roughly $2.3 billion including related equipment, weapons, spares and training, according to a congressional notification dated 21 August.

The helicopters would replace the Royal Norwegian Air Force's fleet of 18 ageing Bell 412s. However, Norway had already signalled in March that it was postponing procurement of helicopters intended to support its special forces and land forces, as part of a revised set of defence spending priorities.

It appears likely, according to the report, that Norway's request for the sale was submitted before that shift in priorities took effect, leaving the deal's future uncertain.

Norway had previously examined the HH-60W combat search and rescue variant, receiving approval in 2025 for nine of those aircraft in a deal worth about $2.6 billion, but reportedly stepped back from that option due to its high cost.

In its notice, the State Department said the proposed sale would improve Norway's rotary-wing capability, letting its army and special operations forces operate independently while sharing a common helicopter platform.

The equipment list accompanying the request includes items such as snow skis, Bambi Buckets for aerial firefighting, external fuel tanks and a VIP transport kit. Listed weapons include M134 miniguns along with M240 7.62mm and M3M .50 calibre machine guns.

Foreign military sale approvals of this kind indicate US government consent for a transaction but do not guarantee that a contract will ultimately be signed.