Black Hawk helicopter induction ceremony

Induction ceremony for the first two UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters delivered to Latvia will take place at the National Armed Forces Lielvārde Air Base on Thursday, 23 February, at 11:00.

During the induction ceremony, attendees will be addressed by Defence Minister Ināra Mūrniece, Chief of the Defence Staff Lieutenant General Leonīds Kalniņš, US Ambassador to Latvia Christopher Robinson and Colonel Viesturs Masulis, Commander of NAF Air Force.

As reported earlier, Cabinet of Ministers approved the purchase of four new Black Hawks in September of 2018. The deal worth EUR 175 million will be implemented on the basis of intergovernmental agreement with US authorities. The first two UH-60M Black Hawk units were delivered to Latvia from the US on 11 December 2022. The remaining two of four helicopters acquired by Latvia will be delivered by the end of 2023.

UH-60M Black Hawk have been designed to meet the specific requirements of the National Armed Forces and are suitable for both military and civilian applications. Equipped with universal application devices, these helicopters can both engage in combat manoeuvres, search and rescue operations, act as air ambulance, air hauler, fire and emergency response transport. Black Hawk is agile, its armoured haul can withstand the ballistic attacks and other shockwaves. It is easy to maintain.

Pilots and ground crews of NAF Air Force have gone through series of training courses since 2020 to learn how to fly and maintain these aircraft.

NB: Media attention!

All media attending the UH-60M Black Hawk induction ceremony shall arrive at the NAF Lielvārde Air Base on 23 February at 10:15. To access the event, please register by 21 February, 17:00, e-mail for application: prese@mod.gov.lv.

Request must contain the following information: name of the media, name, and surname, personal ID number of journalist, model and licence plate of the media vehicle. Media are required to carry valid ID (passport, ID card) at all times. Personal data will be collected and processed only for the purposes of the event. After the event, on 23 February, data will be erased.

Contact information
Roberts Skraučs
Head of the Media Relations Section
Military Public Affairs Department
Tel.: 67335393
E-mail: roberts.skraucs@mod.gov.lv