The Czech Ministry of the Interior has signed framework agreements worth up to CZK 4.9 billion for the acquisition of as many as six helicopters from the Black Hawk family. The contract—awarded to Czech-based company Česká letecká servisní (ČLS), part of the Helicopter Alliance holding—covers both newly built and extensively modernized aircraft intended for the Police Aviation Service. The procurement introduces capabilities not previously operated in Europe.
Firehawk Enters the European Market
The first framework agreement enables the ministry to order up to three new Sikorsky S-70M Firehawk helicopters. This version of the Black Hawk platform is engineered primarily for aerial firefighting, featuring an integrated high-capacity tank and other mission-specific modifications. The firefighting kit, however, can be removed, allowing the helicopter to perform routine police missions.
The Czech Republic will be the first European nation to operate the Firehawk. All three aircraft are to be funded through the EU rescEU program, with the expectation that the helicopters may be deployed to assist partner states when required.
Production and delivery involve multiple partners. PZL Mielec, Sikorsky’s European subsidiary under Lockheed Martin, will supply the base S-70M airframes. The conversion to the Firehawk configuration will be carried out by United Rotorcraft in the United States, a company that has delivered 28 Firehawks to U.S. agencies and has five more in production.
Upgraded UH-60L for Police Operations
The second framework agreement covers up to three UH-60L Black Hawks sourced from U.S. military surplus. These aircraft will undergo a comprehensive modernization before entering service with the Police Aviation Service. The upgrade—performed by ČLS in cooperation with U.S.-based Ace Aeronautics, also part of Helicopter Alliance—will include new dynamic components, new engines, and a fully digital cockpit. The goal is to bring the refurbished UH-60Ls to a performance and systems standard comparable to newly manufactured Black Hawks. Basic equipment will include, among other systems, Bambi buckets for firefighting support.
Industrial Context
Česká letecká servisní, headquartered at Prague-Kbely, has operated since 1997 and has long served as a supplier of avionics and specialized equipment to military and police operators in Central Europe. Its acquisition by Helicopter Alliance in 2023 linked it with a group of companies active in helicopter modernization, training, and aerial firefighting services across Europe and the United States.
Ace Aeronautics, based in Alabama, contributes experience as a Sikorsky-certified service center and developer of the Ace Deck VL-60 integrated digital cockpit for the Black Hawk platform.
The procurement falls under the EU-funded project Development of Czech rescEU Aerial Forest Firefighting Capacity Using a Medium Helicopter – Project A (project code rescEU-AFFF-H-CZ-A), aimed at strengthening the EU’s collective response capability to large-scale wildfires.
