Portugal has activated its 'level Charlie' wildfire prevention plan until June 30, deploying 13,000 operational personnel and 78 aerial assets, including Black Hawk helicopters for the first time.

Portugal's Armed Forces will utilize Black Hawk helicopters and C-130 aircraft, piloted by trained military personnel, to combat wildfires this year, according to the Minister of Defense.

A large forest fire is raging in the Lubelszczyzna region of Poland, prompting an RCB alert for residents to exercise caution. Police Black Hawk helicopters and foresters are actively involved in combating the extensive blaze.

A major police operation involving over 70 officers, a Black Hawk helicopter, and anti-terrorist units simultaneously raided nine locations in Warsaw, Radom, and Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, leading to the arrest of 11 individuals.

US forces are in a race against time to locate an aviator shot down by Iran, with one crew member reportedly rescued. Iran claims to have shot down two US military aircraft and hit two Black Hawk helicopters in a single day, and has now reportedly offered a bounty for US pilots.

A pro-Iranian militia in Iraq has released a video purportedly showing drone strikes on a US facility, including a radar and a Black Hawk helicopter, located within the international airport in Baghdad.

A new hangar for Black Hawk helicopters is currently under construction in Latvia.

Lithuania's military is integrating new Black Hawk helicopters, with assistance from American allies. An unusual sight of an 'aircraft carrier' on the Šiauliai air base runway suggests large-scale exercises or transport operations.

Border Patrol Fired Army Lasers At Party Balloons, Forcing El Paso Air Traffic Shutdown On Wednesday, after the FAA suddenly shut down airspace over El Paso, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the unsettling move was prompted by a "cartel drone incursion," and assured Americans that "the threat has been neutralized." However, that shutdown, which impeded everything from commercial air traffic to medevac helicopter flights, was actually caused by a trigger-happy border Border Patrol unit firing a US Army laser weapon at a party balloon, not far from El Paso International Airport.  The introduction of the weapon into a border-security role without FAA approval may have violated federal law. The proposal for arming the border patrol with the anti-drone weapon was first presented to Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg in the spring of 2025, sources tell the New York Times. The goal was the interdiction of drones used to smuggle drugs across the frontier. According to two people, Pentagon staff cautioned that the idea would require approval of the FAA and Transportation Department, but Feinberg said the Pentagon was free to do what it wanted with the weapons. The Pentagon called their account "a total fabrication."  In a Feb 6 email obtained by the Times, the FAA's chief lawyer warned a DOD official that putting the weapon into the border-enforcement mix without restricting the airspace "a grave risk of fatalities or permanent injuries” to civilians flying overhead.  CPB officers reportedly fired an AeroVironment LOCUST laser counter-drone weapon on loan from the US Army (AeroVironment photo) In the predawn hours on Monday, Feb 9, as military service members observed, Customs and Border Protection officers fired the laser weapon at what they assumed was a drone near Fort Bliss, but it was actually a metallic party balloon. Around 5pm that day, a DOD official emailed an FAA lawyer, reiterating the Pentagon's stance that prior FAA approval wasn't needed, and that the laser weapons would continue to be employed on the border, adding that he "looked forward" to a meeting to discuss the topic.  FAA officials were said to be outraged. Early Tuesday evening, the FAA warned the Pentagon and National Security Council that an FAA-mandated shutdown of airspace near El Paso was imminent. Then came the extraordinary order from FAA administrator Bryan Bedford that airspace above El Paso would be closed for 10 days. The "temporary flight restriction notice" forbid any flights below 18,000 feet in the affected area. An angry El Paso Mayor Renard Johnson said the "unnecessary" airspace shutdown, which lasted a few hours, caused "chaos and confusion," including the diversion of medevac flights to Las Cruces, New Mexico. Bedford rescinded the order on Wednesday.   The laser weapon was fired a balloon approaching Fort Bliss, which is immediately adjacent to El Paso International Airport The incident has intensified pre-existing tension between the DOD and the FAA, which goes back to the disastrous January 2025 collision between an American Airlines jet and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter that killed 67 people. At least two near-misses with Army helicopters followed.  While it's been widely and credibly reported that CPB fired at a party balloon, the administration has yet to officially rescind its claims about a "cartel drone incursion." Meanwhile, the safety question hangs heavy in the air. In October 2024, an official at US Northern Command said safety concerns were, at the time, keeping lasers off the table where drone interdiction was concerned:  “The biggest thing right now is the impact of the laser when it moves beyond its target. You know, how far is it going? What’s that going to do? How long does the laser need to remain on target before it begins to inflict damage and so on, right?”  It's far from clear if those questions have since been satisfactorily answered. To the extent they're still being sorted out, maybe that process shouldn't be taking place next to El Paso International Airport.  Tyler Durden Sun, 02/15/2026 - 13:25

Black Hawk helicopters are being deployed to assist in battling a forest fire near Warsaw, with footage showing them rapidly refilling water tanks. The effectiveness of the firefighting efforts is also being assessed in relation to the prevailing weather conditions.

A major European civil protection exercise currently underway in Viseu has revealed weaknesses in the new Black Hawk helicopters' 'belly tank' system. This necessitates a review of existing procedures for the Portuguese Air Force.

A police Black Hawk helicopter and counter-terrorism officers were deployed to a building near Rondo Zgrupowania Armii Krajowej "Radosław" in Warsaw, resulting in the arrest of several individuals in an investigation concerning drug trafficking.

Iranian authorities have said several US aircraft, including two C-130 transport planes and two Black Hawk helicopters, were destroyed.

The US Army has taken delivery of its first Black Hawk transport helicopter capable of autonomous flight, which can also be controlled by a pilot or via a tablet from the ground.

The U.S. Army has taken delivery of its first Black Hawk helicopter variant, equipped with the Sikorsky MATRIX autonomy suite for autonomous flight, marking a significant step in military aviation testing.

Lithuania's Aviation Base in Šiauliai introduces one of its first two new UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters, marking an upgrade for the Lithuanian army.

The Portuguese Air Force has received a new 'Black Hawk' helicopter, bringing its total firefighting fleet to six aircraft. The helicopter arrived at the Ovar air base.

U.S. Air and Marine Operations utilized a Black Hawk helicopter to intercept a boat off the coast of Puerto Rico on May 14, leading to the seizure of 391 pounds of cocaine.

A recent exercise has revealed 'fragilities' in the supply chain for the Portuguese Air Force's Black Hawk helicopters, which are being deployed for the first time this year in the country's firefighting efforts.

The Austrian Court of Audit has criticized the modernization process of Black Hawk helicopters, noting that the initial procedure in 2017 had to be revoked due to significant procedural errors, leading to increased costs of 125.85 million euros.

Iran's IRGC claims that Iranian tribals attacked two US Black Hawk helicopters in mountainous terrain, indicating a potential escalation of tensions in the region.

The countdown has begun for Greece's Army Aviation to receive its first Black Hawk helicopters, with deliveries expected to start in 2027.

A video has emerged depicting a close call between a United Airlines Boeing 737 and a Black Hawk helicopter at a California airport, raising concerns about air traffic safety.

The U.S. Army has taken delivery of a Black Hawk helicopter variant, featuring the Sikorsky MATRIX autonomy suite designed for autonomous flight from pre-flight checks to landing, for testing purposes, marking a significant step in military aviation.

A court in Warsaw will not hear the case of a police Black Hawk helicopter incident, as the District Court in Płock rejected the request to transfer the case. This means the case will be heard by the court in Ciechanów.

A Black Hawk helicopter's search for bodies in California's Sierra Nevada region, hit by a fatal avalanche, was cut short after about 90 minutes due to deteriorating weather conditions.