just got swindled out of a gift, and it is a big one – a Black Hawk helicopter worth £2.3 million.
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UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter.
It is expected to be delivered this month, bolstering the aerial capabilities as the war drags into a fourth year.
‘We did it! The Czechs are sending a Black Hawk helicopter to Ukraine,’ the announcement said.
‘We managed to secure a cheaper, newer machine that Ukraine urgently needs.
‘Let’s finish what we started together and send Chestmir to fight against the dark Empire.’
This has made the Czech Republic the first country where citizens have singlehandedly financed the purchase of a helicopter for the Ukrainian army all through donations.
The fundraiser has put a big spotlight on the role of European grassroots movements in providing sophisticated military aid while some Western governments lag behind.
The UH-60 Black Hawk ranks among the most enduring and adaptable helicopters in military service worldwide, and is the US Army’s primary medium-lift utility transport and air assault aircraft.
The twin-engine aircraft has a single 4-bladed rotor and a single 4-bladed tail rotor.
It is equipped with advanced defensive measures – infrared jammers, chaff and flare dispensers, and radar warning systems to protect against missile threats.
Ukraine’s acquisition of the Black Hawk addresses a pressing gap in its rotary-wing fleet, decimated by Russian attacks since the start of the war.
Nato intelligence estimates that at least 30 Ukrainian helicopters, primarily Soviet-designed Mi-8s and Mi-24s, have been destroyed since February 2022, leaving the country’s air mobility strained.
Citing an anonymous senior Ukrainian military source stated, Bulgarian Military, a news outlet for the international defence industry, said: ‘The Black Hawk brings speed, durability, and Nato-standard technology that our aging fleet lacks.’
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