Norway: Siltanews – News Desk
The US State Department has approved a possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to Norway of up to nine Sikorsky HH-60W combat rescue helicopters and related equipment, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced on 11 July 2025.
The proposed FMS, which is estimated to be worth USD 2.6 billion (EUR 2.23 billion), has been passed to the US Congress for final approval.
Specifically, Norway has requested to buy up to nine HH-60W helicopters; 22 T-700-GE-401 turboshaft engines (18 installed, four spare); 21 Embedded Global Positioning System/Inertial Navigation Systems (18 installed, three spares); 10 AN/APR-52 radar warning receivers (nine installed, one spare); and 10 AN/AAR-57 Common Missile Warning Systems (nine installed, one spare).
Also included in the package are an unspecified number of GAU-21 aircraft machine guns and other machine guns; IZLID 200P infrared lasers; AN/ALE-47 Airborne Countermeasures Dispenser Systems; Joint Mission Planning Systems; and various aspects of technical, logistics, training and program support.
“The proposed sale will improve Norway’s capability to meet current and future threats by increasing its airborne combat and special operations capabilities,” the DSCA stated, adding, “Norway will use these aircraft to defend other NATO members and its allies.”
The Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) currently operates 18 Bell 412SP/HP helicopters, which were delivered from 1987, as special operations rotorcraft. In June 2023 the Norwegian Ministry of Defense (MoD) decided that, rather than recapitalize this entire fleet, it would upgrade nine of them and extend their service lives by at least 15 years.
The Norwegian FMS request for up to nine HH-60W helicopters would thus retain the RNoAF’s special operations rotorcraft fleet as an 18-strong force in conjunction with the upgraded Bell 412s. The US Air Force is currently the only operator of the HH-60W, also known as the Jolly Green II.
Norway, meanwhile, already has six Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk helicopters on order, which will share some degree of commonality with the HH-60Ws.
The Norwegian MoD announced on 14 March 2023 that it would buy six MH-60Rs to partially replace a fleet of 14 NH Industries NH90s that was cancelled in June 2022, at which point just eight NH90s were fully operational.