CANBERRA, Australia — The U.S. State Department has approved the potential sale of 40 Black Hawk helicopters to Australia for an estimated $1.95 billion, the latest move toward strengthening military ties between Canberra and Washington.
The Australian government requested the U.S.-designed aircraft in December 2021 after announcing they would be scrapping their fleet of MRH90 Taipan helicopters more than 15 years ahead of schedule because of ongoing performance concerns.
The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency said the sale to Australia would support “the foreign policy and national security objectives of the U.S.”
