US Approves Selling Mexico 11 Black Hawk Helicopters for 20 Billion Pesos

BySinEmbargo Staff

This article by SinEmbargo Staff originally appeared in the November 7, 2026 edition of SinEmbargo, an independent Mexican digital news outlet.

Mexico City, November 7 (SinEmbargo).— The government of the United States (US) approved selling Mexico more than a dozen combat helicopters and related equipment, for an estimated amount of 1.075 billion dollars, equivalent to around 20 billion pesos.

The US State Department issued a statement on Friday reporting that the Mexican Government requested the purchase of 11 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters, as well as equipment for their operation, including: 27 T700-GE-701D engines, 27 EAGLE-M+429 inertial navigation/GPS systems, and 27 AN/ARC-231A RT-1987 very high frequency (VHF)/ultra high frequency/line-of-sight satellite communication radios.

US authorities emphasized that the sale of the aircraft to Mexico will not affect the US Army’s capability and will support their country’s national security and foreign policy objectives “by improving the security of an ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in North America.”

According to the terms of the purchase contract for the Black Hawk helicopters, at least 15 US government representatives or contractors will need to travel to Mexico and remain in national territory for an extended period of time, in order to support the deployment of the equipment, verify the systems, and provide training, technical and logistical support.

UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter
Mexico will pay the US around 20 billion pesos for the purchase of 11 Black Hawk helicopters. Photo: US Department of War

The US government report mentions that the aircraft and equipment acquired by the country will be used for domestic security work, which “will strengthen Mexico’s capacity to provide air support to its forces engaged in counter-drug operations.”

What Are the Black Hawk Helicopters Mexico Will Buy From the US Like?

According to the statement issued by the US State Department, the prime contractor in charge of the sale of the Black Hawk helicopters to Mexico will be Sikorsky, a company owned by Lockheed Martin, the firm responsible for manufacturing the aircraft.

According to the manufacturer’s information, some of the most notable features of these helicopters are:

  • Capacity to carry up to 12 fully equipped soldiers.
  • The Black Hawk can be fitted with door and window machine guns, which are operated by the crew.
  • It has an armored floor.
  • It can carry loads of up to 4,080 kilograms.
  • It can be fitted with specialized equipment for rescue or firefighting missions.
  • It has twin engines and the cabin can be reconfigured according to the needs of the mission.
Soldiers next to a Black Hawk helicopter
The Black Hawk helicopter can carry up to 12 soldiers. Photo: US Department of War