Norway has been cleared to acquire nine Sikorsky HH-60W Jolly Green II combat search and rescue helicopters as potential replacements for its fleet of special forces-roled Bell 412s.
Also including GE Aerospace T700 engines, mission equipment, spares and support, the deal is valued at $2.6 billion – or nearly $300 million per aircraft.
Oslo is seeking the helicopters under the USA’s Foreign Military Sales process; approval for the deal has been granted by the US Department of State, but still requires Congressional clearance.
“The proposed sale will improve Norway’s capability to meet current and future threats by increasing its airborne combat and special operations capabilities,” states the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency.
Norway has been contemplating a long-term successor for the Bell 412s for several years, although last year it contracted Kongsberg Aviation Maintenance Services to upgrade the legacy type after ditching a dedicated special forces helicopter acquisition in 2023. The fleet supports both army and special forces operations.
It is already buying six MH-60R Seahawk maritime helicopters as a partial replacement for the 14 NH Industries NH90s that were withdrawn from service in 2022 amid a long-running contract dispute.
Oslo had acquired eight NH90s for coastguard-support missions, with another six to serve the anti-submarine warfare role; the Nordic country has been actively seeking a replacement for the latter capability, with the contest between the Seahawk and Leonardo Helicopters AW101.
A total of 16 AW101s are presently flown by the Royal Norwegian Air Force for long-range search and rescue missions on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.
Norway holds options for a further six examples of the three-engined type and talks are understood to be ongoing with the manufacturer over exercising some of these with which to equip a seventh base.
The US Air Force is the sole customer to date for the HH-60W under its Combat Rescue Helicopter programme. A successor to the now-retired HH-60G Pave Hawk, deliveries of the Jolly Green II began in 2020.
However, the quantity to be acquired has declined from the initial target of 113 units to 75 based on the air force’s 2025 budget request.
