The Brazilian Air Force (FAB) announced this Monday (20) the purchase of 11 UH-60L Black Hawk helicopters from the United States Army, in a contract worth R$1.2 billion, signed without a bidding process.
The agreement was published in the Official Gazette of the Union and involves aircraft manufactured by North American ACE Aeronautics, which will also be responsible for integrating new navigation and flight control systems.
The acquisition occurs at a sensitive moment in Brazilian foreign policy, scheduled for October 26th in Malaysia.
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The Brazilian government is trying, behind the scenes, to negotiate the reduction of tariffs imposed by the USA on Brazilian products, part of the so-called trade war opened by Trump.
Fleet modernization
The aircraft are part of the BEST (Blackhawk Exchange Sales Team) program, a US Army initiative aimed at selling revised helicopters to partner countries.
The contract foresees, in addition to the purchase of 11 new Black Hawks, the modernization of another 13 aircraft already in operation by the FAB, totaling 24 state-of-the-art units.
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Helicopters are used by the Air Force in rescue operations, troop transport, logistical missions and humanitarian actions in remote regions of the Amazon and the Brazilian coast.
The negotiation reinforces the long relationship between Brazil and the United States in the field of military cooperation.
In May 2024, Brazil had already authorized the purchase of missiles, armored vehicles, electronic warfare systems and transport aircraft via FMS, in a package valued at US$950 million, with deliveries scheduled until 2028.
The R$1.2 billion contract was classified as not subject to bidding, which means that there was no public competition, as it was an exclusive supplier authorized by the United States government. The operation will be conducted by the São Paulo Aeronautical Material Park, linked to the Air Force Command and the Ministry of Defense.
The purchase, although seen as strategic for the modernization of the FAB, occurs at a time of fiscal adjustment in the federal government, which seeks to compensate for revenue losses after the overturn of the provisional measure that raised taxes on the financial sector.
