Ukrainian Armed Forces’ Army Aviation Plans to Replace Soviet Helicopters with American UH-60 Black Hawks

To replace the Soviet helicopters used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ Army Aviation, the unit plans to acquire American UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters.

Brigadier General Pavlo Bardakov, commander of Army Aviation, stated this in an interview with LIGA.net.

According to him, acquiring new equipment is inevitable, since the entire existing helicopter fleet relies on spare parts, most of which are manufactured in Russia.

“The primary combat aircraft we are considering is the UH-60 Black Hawk. It is a versatile aircraft for combat and troop transport missions, proven in numerous military operations,” Bardakov noted.

Regarding other attack helicopters, the general stated that “there are questions about them,” since not all platforms available worldwide are suitable for modern combat conditions.

“Not all helicopters in service with many countries meet the conditions of our war. Not all of them meet our requirements for operational conditions, avionics, and armament. Some are very fragile and expensive to maintain. We still need to take a more rational and cost-effective approach to our fleet,” the commander added.

He also noted that aviation is always an expensive endeavor. Everything is costly — helicopters, training, maintenance, spare parts, support, aviation weapons, and preparation.