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Ukraine Plans to Replace Soviet Helicopters With US UH-60 Black Hawks
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Ukraine’s Army Aviation plans to gradually replace its Soviet-designed helicopters with US-made UH-60 Black Hawk aircraft as aging fleets become increasingly difficult to maintain due to reliance on Russian-made components.
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In an interview published by LIGA.net on July 3, Brigadier General Pavlo Bardakov, commander of Ukraine’s Army Aviation, said the service considers the UH-60 Black Hawk its preferred future platform while continuing to modernize its existing Soviet-era helicopters for current operations.
BLACK HAWK HELICOPTER LANDS A GROUP OF UKRAINIAN SPECIAL FORCES near Pokrovsk
— Slava 🇺🇦 (@Heroiam_Slava) October 31, 2025
Ukraine launched a counteroffensive near Pokrovsk to regain control of logistical lines pic.twitter.com/E7uPXtFwUQ
“The main combat aircraft we see is the UH-60 Black Hawk. It is a universal platform for combat and air assault transport missions that has been proven in numerous military operations,” Bardakov told LIGA.net.
Ukraine currently operates Soviet-designed Mi-8 and Mi-24 helicopters, many of which have already been upgraded with Western navigation systems, weapons, and self-protection equipment to meet battlefield requirements.
Bardakov said acquiring an entirely new helicopter fleet is a long-term process, but argued that modernization alone cannot permanently solve the problem because much of the existing fleet depends on Russian-produced parts.
“The arrival of new equipment for Army Aviation is inevitable—the entire helicopter fleet is tied to spare parts, assemblies and components, most of which are produced in Russia,” he said, according to LIGA.net. He added that while shortages are not expected within the next year or two, Ukraine will need to transition to a new platform over the medium term.
Ukraine is considering not only newly built aircraft but also refurbished or modernized helicopters. Bardakov said work on several acquisition projects is already underway and described the Black Hawk as offering a favorable balance of capability, operating costs, and overall effectiveness.
He also noted that partner-funded programs are adapting the helicopters to the specific requirements of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.
Discussing other attack helicopter options, Bardakov said not every platform currently in service worldwide is suitable for Ukraine’s operational environment.
“Not all machines that are in service with many countries meet the conditions of our war. Not all meet our requirements for operating conditions, avionics, and weapons. There are very fragile and expensive-to-maintain machines. We still have to approach our fleet more rationally and economically,” he said.
The UH-60 Black Hawk entered US military service in 1979 and is used for troop transport, medical evacuation, cargo missions, and other tactical operations. Ukraine already operates a limited number of Black Hawks within the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, where the helicopters have been publicly shown during training and operational activities.
Ukraine has also explored other US helicopter platforms. In October 2025, Bell Textron signed a memorandum with the Ukrainian government outlining potential deliveries of AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters and UH-1Y Venom utility helicopters, while proposing the creation of a production and maintenance hub in Ukraine to support future operations.
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