The Romanian Ministry of Interior has received the first four S-70M Black Hawk utility helicopters from Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company. These helicopters, manufactured at PZL Mielec in Poland, mark the beginning of a new era in search and rescue operations in Romania. Two additional units are scheduled to be delivered by the end of 2023 as part of the European Union's VISION 2020 project.

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Romania has received the first four S-70M Black Hawk utility helicopters from Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company.  (Picture source: Lockheed Martin Company)

Designed for a variety of missions, including maritime and terrestrial search and rescue, firefighting, transportation, and emergency medical support, these next-generation helicopters represent a significant advancement in Romania's aerial response capabilities. An additional Black Hawk helicopter, acquired through the European HeliPol project, is expected to be delivered before the end of the year and will be allocated to the Romanian police, further enhancing their operational capacity.

The delivery is part of a broader framework agreement, under which Romania will receive up to 12 S-70M Black Hawks built in Poland over the next four years.

"The arrival of the first Black Hawk helicopters in Romania is a historic event. The Black Hawk is the most capable and reliable helicopter for crews conducting vital rescue and firefighting missions," said Paul Lemmo, President of Sikorsky. He emphasized the flexibility and enhanced survivability that these multi-role helicopters offer, especially for rescue missions in challenging environments.

With this acquisition, Romania joins the international community of Black Hawk operators and becomes the 11th country and 18th customer for Black Hawk helicopters manufactured by PZL Mielec, Poland's largest aerospace equipment exporter.

The S-70 Black Hawk helicopters are equipped with digital avionics, powerful GE engines, high-strength fuselage structures, and wide-chord composite rotor blades. These features collectively improve situational awareness, survivability, and performance. Both the terrestrial and maritime variants of the Black Hawks are equipped with a medical suite designed and supplied by DELTAMED, an emergency vehicle integrator based in Cluj-Napoca, equipped for patient care and rescue.