Germany is to donate six Westland Sea King Mk41 helicopters to Ukraine as part of its ongoing support to Kyiv in its war against Russia.
Announced on 24 January by German defence minister Boris Pistorius, the helicopters will be handed over from the second quarter.
The donation also includes spare parts and training for Ukrainian crews, which is already under way in Germany.
“The Sea King is a proven and robust helicopter that will help the Ukrainians in many areas, from reconnaissance over the Black Sea to transporting soldiers. It is the first German delivery of its kind,” says Pistorius.
He also promised to prioritise the delivery of additional air defence assets for Ukraine through a broader collation of NATO members.
Pistorius was speaking at the latest meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, the 54-nation body that co-ordinates the supply of military aid to Kyiv.
Berlin has been progressively replacing its navy’s 50-year-old Sea Kings with 18 new NH Industries NH90 helicopters for search and rescue and utility missions under its Sea Lion programme.
Just 10 examples remain in service, Cirium fleets data indicates, with the retirement of the final Sea King due in August this year.
Kyiv already operates a trio of former Royal Navy Sea Kings that were gifted by the UK in 2022.
