German Sea Kings for Ukraine

Following the delivery of three British Sea Kings on which Scramble reported on 14 May 2023, Germany has now announced that it will provide six of these helicopters to Ukraine.

The German Sea King Mk41 multi-purpose helicopters have become surplus as the type is being replaced by new Sea Lion helicopters based on the Airbus NH90. It was revealed on 23 January by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius at the meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group , the so-called Ramstein format. It is the first German delivery of its kind.

The arrival of these additional Sea Kings will be a boost for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In recent years, their most important task has been search and rescue, but the type can also be employed for antishipping duties or troop carrying. The delivery includes an extensive accessories and spare parts package as well as aviation and technical training support. Submission will be possible from the second quarter of 2024.

Photo (just illustrative): Gert Jan Mentink