State Department approves Black Hawk helicopter sale for Latvia

The State Department has approved a possible foreign military sale of four Black Hawk helicopters and related equipment to the government of Latvia.

The helicopters will be in standard U.S. configuration, and will be accompanied by ten T700-GE-701D engines -- including eight installed and two spare -- and ten Embedded Global Positioning Systems/Inertial Navigation Systems, also with eight installed and two spares.

The contract also includes a large amount of communications gear, transponders, night-vision devices, spare parts, tools and other equipment for the Black Hawks. The estimated contract value is $200 million.

The State Department said the proposed sale will contribute to U.S. national security by allowing interoperability with NATO and U.S. forces in deployment of troops and equipment. It will not affect the basic balance of power in the region.

The primary contractor involved will be Sikorsky, with contractor personnel assigned to help train and maintain the helicopters.

The UH-60 Black Hawk is the primary medium-lift transport helicopter of the U.S. Army and several other nations. It has been produced in many variants to perform a wide variety of missions.

Over 4,000 Black Hawks have been produced since the platform's introduction in 1974.

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