A gift from the other side of the Atlantic.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 12th of October, 2018, the American Government has given the green light for the US to donate two allegedly completely new Black Hawk UH-60M military helicopters to the Republic of Croatia, and the aircraft should arrive in 2020.

The total value of the two helicopters, along with all of their required equipment and spare parts stands at about 50 million dollars.

The new two helicopters should enter into Croatia's military system in the year of their arrival in the country, which is currently expected to be the year 2020, which is the same year in which the first F16 fighter aircraft from Israel should also arrive in the country. In addition, the Croatian Air Force will also have the use of Kiowa helicopters at their disposal, according to a report from Jutarnji list.

As Jutarnji list writes, two American Black Hawk M series helicopters landed on Thursday in Zagreb in order to be presented on the following day, and for the general public to see what sort of aircraft was being donated to the country.

The US government's decision to donate two new multi-purpose helicopters is believed to be more proof of a strong strategic partnership between the United States and the Republic of Croatia.

The Black Hawk UH-60M is otherwise the newest version of this type of helicopter, featuring state-of-the-art communication, navigation and sensory systems. The helicopters, as Defense Minister Damir Krstičević announced a year ago, should be deployed to the Special Forces Command. This is a multipurpose version of the helicopter because it can be used for air strikes, evacuation of the wounded, tracing and rescue, and the transfer of soldiers, but it can also be used in fire extinguishing, border control, and various other reasons.

Compared to other UH-60s, the modernised M version boasts, among other things, a glass cockpit, a new control system, larger main rotor blades, the hull is reinforced, and the list of its main practicalities goes on.

The US Government's decision to grant the first two helicopters to Croatia begins the long-awaited replacement of Russian technology. At this moment in time, the Croatian Air Force uses Russian transport helicopters MI8, MI8-MTV1 and MI 171SH. The idea of ​​equipping the Croatian Army with Black Hawk helicopters was mentioned earlier and its realisation was somewhat indirectly confirmed by Minister Damir Krstičević when he revealed that last october in America, there had been discussions with the American side about the procurement of the Black Hawk helicopters for Croatia.

Click here for the original article by Kresimir Zabec for Jutarnji list