Once upon a time, Russian-style equipment was a hot spot for grabs, but with the collapse of the Soviet Union and the decline of the Russian economy, countries that rely on Russian-style weapons are beginning to face problems. They urgently need to find new weapons to replace the old Russian-style equipment. According to the news, the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense plans to invest 300 million euros to purchase six UH-60M "Black Hawk" helicopters from the United States to replace the Soviet-made Mi-8 helicopters. Lithuania hopes to conclude an arms purchase agreement by the end of 2020 and receive the first helicopter in 2024. The helicopters will be allocated to Lithuania and German troops stationed on the territory of the country.
Why did Lithuania buy 6 Black Hawk helicopters? There are many reasons for this. First of all, the Mi-8 helicopters currently in service in Lithuania are approaching their end of life, and maintenance is becoming increasingly difficult. Spare parts must be purchased from Russia. The Mi-8 helicopter is a Soviet-made product in the 60s of the last century, and although it performs well, has a fast vertical takeoff and landing speed, can transport more wounded, and carries weapons such as machine guns, rockets and anti-tank missiles for reconnaissance and ground attack missions, it has been in service for 58 years and has aged badly. In addition, accidents occur frequently, so it is more convenient to buy Black Hawk helicopters directly from the United States.
Secondly, the UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter has excellent performance. This helicopter is well received and is used not only by the American army itself, but also exported to many countries. It has performed prominently in places such as the Vietnam Theater and the Middle East Theater, and has achieved export success. Although this equipment is more than 40 years old, the US military has been improving and upgrading it, introducing several models. In addition, it can carry out tasks in rain and snow, and even humanitarian relief missions. For example, during the Wenchuan earthquake in China, imported Black Hawk helicopters made great contributions to earthquake relief and demonstrated outstanding performance. Because of this, it has become the preferred model for imitation and purchase all over the world.
Finally, Lithuania is a member of NATO. It has been 15 years since Lithuania joined NATO. As a small European country, it naturally needs to rely on NATO to avoid falling victim to the confrontation between the United States, Europe and Russia. At present, Lithuania relies mainly on the protection of German troops, with about a few hundred German troops stationed in the country, plus more than 1,200 other NATO troops. Therefore, these 6 Black Hawk helicopters are not only for their own needs, but also to please NATO and the United States.
In general, Lithuania is a small country with limited power. The purchase of 6 Black Hawk helicopters both solved the problem of helicopter shortages and pleased NATO and the United States, so to speak, a wise move. It's just that just 6 helicopters may be a bit insufficient, I wonder if the American arms dealer has increased the price because of the small number?