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Internal government review exposes technical, legal, and operational doubts about military helicopter acquired by Rio PM in millionaire contract signed at the end of the previous administration, while STF restrictions and risks in urban areas become central to the analysis.
The Rio government has initiated a reevaluation of the purchase of a Sikorsky UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter, estimated at R$ 70 million, amidst technical and legal questions that are now being analyzed by the Civil House with no defined deadline for conclusion.
According to Secretary Flávio Willeman, the verification involves operational and legal aspects of the already signed contract, which includes the suitability of the aircraft for the Military Police’s needs and the legal security of the acquisition process.
According to the newspaper O Globo, announced in January by then-governor Cláudio Castro as “a historic acquisition,” the purchase foresaw the equipment’s arrival before April, a deadline that was not met, while the formal contract guarantees up to 12 months for delivery.
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Rio government reevaluates Black Hawk purchase
With the change in state command, the analysis gained new political and administrative weight, becoming part of a broader review conducted by the interim administration regarding contracts signed in the final acts of the previous government.
At the helm of the state Executive, Ricardo Couto de Castro, president of the Rio Court of Justice, ordered the Civil House to deepen the evaluation of the helicopter’s practical utility and the risks associated with its use in urban areas.
Among the sensitive points is the use of the Black Hawk in densely populated communities, where the air displacement caused by the rotor blades can generate direct impact on fragile structures during low-altitude operations.
This effect, known as rotor wash, raises concerns about possible damage to residences with light roofs or exposed slabs, a common scenario in various regions where police actions occur in the state.
Given this, government members are discussing whether the model adequately meets the corporation’s operational demands without increasing risks to the civilian population during public security interventions.
Helicopter contract remains valid
Formalized in February, Contract nº 002/2026 resulted from an International Electronic Bid initiated in August 2025, within the rules provided by current bidding legislation.
The process was conducted by the Military Police’s logistics support area and had its homologation registered with the State Court of Accounts on January 22, days before the public announcement made by the then-governor.
Even with the ongoing reevaluation, the State Military Police Secretariat informed that the contract remains in force, maintaining the conditions originally established for the supply of the aircraft.
According to the department, the company Blue Air Táxi Aéreo Ltda. has a period of 12 months, counted from the signing, to deliver the helicopter provided for in the agreement signed with the state government.
Meanwhile, the Civil House has not yet publicly detailed which specific aspects are being examined, and the contracted company has not commented on any eventual review or progress of the acquisition.
STF imposes rules on the use of helicopters in favelas
The possible incorporation of the Black Hawk occurs in a context of judicial restrictions established by the Supreme Federal Court on the use of aircraft in police operations in Rio de Janeiro.
ADPF 635, known as ADPF das Favelas, determined that helicopters can only be used in situations of strict necessity, with formal justifications and subsequent institutional control.
Upon concluding the merits judgment in April 2025, the STF maintained these limitations and reinforced the requirement for specific protocols for the use of aerial means, armored vehicles, and drones in public security operations.
Furthermore, the obligation to communicate with the Public Prosecutor’s Office in certain circumstances was established, which expands control over operations carried out in areas considered sensitive.
In this scenario, the adoption of a large aircraft like the Black Hawk requires compatibility with rules that restrict the use of force and impose rigorous criteria for police action in vulnerable territories.
Characteristics of the Black Hawk helicopter
Developed in the United States, the Sikorsky UH-60L Black Hawk is a twin-engine military helicopter designed for tactical transport, troop infiltration and extraction, as well as aeromedical evacuation missions and support for special operations.
With a maximum speed of 294 km/h and an approximate range of 590 kilometers, the model can transport up to four crew members and 11 equipped soldiers, being widely used by armed forces in different countries.
The unit intended for the Rio Military Police is used and is expected to receive reinforced armor, although it will not include sensitive military systems, such as missile countermeasures or side armament, due to legal restrictions from the United States.
To enable the operation, pilots from the Aeromobile Group were sent abroad to conduct training and technical inspections, a step considered essential for the eventual incorporation of the aircraft.
If the purchase is maintained, PMERJ could become the first state police force in the country to operate a helicopter of this size, significantly expanding the corporation’s tactical capacity.
Currently, the fleet includes models such as Bell Huey II, Leonardo AW169, AW119, and Airbus/Helibras H125 Esquilo, which have lower transport capacity and operational range compared to the Black Hawk.
Political crisis influences contract review
The decision to review the contract occurs amidst an unstable political scenario, marked by changes in the state government’s leadership after Cláudio Castro’s departure from office.
The former governor resigned in March 2026, before the conclusion of a trial in the Superior Electoral Court related to accusations involving the so-called Ceperj scandal.
Subsequently, the TSE declared Castro ineligible, but noted that the mandate was not revoked because he had already left office, also determining that a new election for the state Executive branch should be held.
With the simultaneous vacancy in the positions of governor and vice-governor, the head of the Executive branch began to be exercised on an interim basis by Ricardo Couto, according to the current line of succession.
In a decision issued in April 2026, Minister Cristiano Zanin, of the Supreme Federal Court, kept Couto in office until a new definition regarding the election model for the interim term.
The institutional dispute also involved the Legislative Assembly, which even nominated the president of the House to assume the government, but had its claim dismissed by a decision of the STF.
Inserted in this context, the analysis of the Black Hawk contract became part of a broader set of administrative reviews, focused on acts signed in the final moments of the previous administration.
Although it does not, at the moment, represent a cancellation of the purchase, the ongoing examination highlights the financial and operational impact of the acquisition, in addition to the need for compatibility with judicial norms and public security strategies.
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