The first three Black Hawk helicopters arrived in Colombia today on a USAF C-17 Globemaster III to help protect the environment and assist the civilian communities.
Entusiasmados y orgullosos, así nos sentimos hoy en @StateINL al anunciar la llegada de los tres primeros helicópteros Black Hawk, de los 12 que harán parte de la flota aérea donada por el gobierno de EE.UU. a Colombia para proteger el medio ambiente. #GuardianesDelAmbiente https://t.co/OJOyLAYzGo pic.twitter.com/IKmd7unu1m
— US Embassy Bogota (@USEmbassyBogota) September 16, 2022
The aircraft were donated by the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) to the Colombian Police and, according to the U.S. Embassy in Bogota, these aircraft will be used in environmental protection tasks, such as combating illegal deforestation, firefighting, as well as aiding isolated communities, etc.
As their camouflage suggests, these Black Hawks were originally intended for the Afghan Armed and Security Forces, but after the withdrawal of US troops from the country and the subsequent collapse of the central government in Kabul, the helicopters remained in storage awaiting a new destination.