The helicopter is the first of 11 Aegean Hawks operated by the Hellenic Navy.

Aeroservices, a certified repair company for Sikorsky helicopters, has carried out repair, inspection, maintenance and upgrade work on the helicopter.

At the helicopter delivery ceremony, US Ambassador to Greece Geoffrey Pyatt said: “It’s incredibly exciting to get this Hellenic Navy helicopter back in the air, and I want to congratulate the whole team of professionals at Aeroservices for their achievement.”

“The work being done here at Aeroservices, on behalf of the Hellenic Navy, is another great example of the US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme delivering results for the Hellenic Armed Forces.

“The Hellenic Navy’s S-70B sustainment and upgrade programmes exemplify the strong cooperation between the US and Hellenic Navies.”

Greece is also set to receive seven MH-60 Romeo helicopters by the end of this year and in early 2022.

Pyatt noted that the industry collaboration initiative between the countries will allow Greece to develop skills that will see it service other Sikorsky platforms, in addition to its own S-70B and MH-60 helicopters.

Manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft, the S-70B Seahawk naval helicopter is a derivative of the UH60A Black Hawk US Army Helicopter.

The SH-60B is designed for anti-submarine (ASW) and anti-surface warfare (ASUW) operations. The Seahawk entered service in the US Navy in 1982.