The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress July 23 that the State Department has approved a possible $700 million Foreign Military Sale to Tunisia for UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support.
The principal contractors will be Sikorsky [UTX] and General Electric [GE].
Tunisia requested a possible sale of 12 UH-60M Black Hawk Helicopters in standard U.S. government configuration with designated unique equipment and government furnished equipment (GFE), 30 T700-GE-701D engines (24 installed and 6 spares), 26 embedded Global Positioning Systems/Inertial Navigation Systems, and 24 M134 7.62mm machine guns.
The sale also would include the integration of a Precision Guided Rocket System capability to permit launch of laser-guided variants of 2.75 rockets, 9,100 2.75 Hydra Rockets, 100 AGM-114R Hellfire Missiles, 20 M299 Hellfire Missile Pods, 24 M261 Hydra-70 Rocket Pods, 24 GAU-19 .50 cal Machine Guns, and 15 Wescam MX-15Di or Brite Star II Electro-Optical Infrared Laser Designators. Also, six aviation mission planning systems, one aviation ground power unit, and 30 AN/AVS-9 night vision goggles, would be part of the deal.
The sale would include 15 AAR-57 common missile warning systems, 15 AN/APR-39A(V)4s radar warning receivers, 15 AN/AVR-2B(V)1s laser warning systems, 30 MXF-4027 very high frequency/ultra high frequency radios, 15 AN/APX-117 IFF transponders, 15 very high frequency/digitally selective calling radios, 15 ARN-147 VOR/ILS, 15 AN/ARN-153 tactical air navigation systems, and 15 AN/ARC-220 radios.
There would also be an aircraft warranty, ammunition, air worthiness support, facility construction, spare and repair parts, and a variety of support equipment and services.
The proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a friendly country in North Africa, DSCA said.
The proposed sale will improve Tunisia’s capability to deter regional threats and strengthen its homeland defense, as well as support counter-terrorism operations.
The sale of these UH-60 helicopters will bolster Tunisia’s ability to provide border patrol, rapid reaction, and field expedient medical evacuation for its air and ground forces in counter-terrorism and border security operations.