Los Angeles County is spending $43.1 million on a new Firehawk helicopter, and the bill comes with an unusually visible line item: the cost of a federal tariff on goods from the European Union. The aircraft is headed for a fire fleet already being pushed to do more as Southern California’s wildfire seasons grow longer, hotter and more expensive.
The Tuesday approval covers a Sikorsky S-70i Firehawk, with the tariff included in the purchase price, according to the Los Angeles Daily News. The helicopter will also need a $6.6 million mission equipment system and other add-ons before entering service, while the precise tariff amount may not be known until the county makes its final payment.
The purchase is part of a broader fleet modernization effort rather than a one-off aviation splurge. In September 2025, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors authorized the acquisition of two S-70i Firehawks for up to $73.5 million, including estimated tariffs and sales taxes, and allowed the Fire Chief to adjust the amount if reciprocal tariffs changed.
A Firehawk Built For More Than Brush Fires
The S-70i is designed for a long list of emergencies, including wildfire suppression, rescue missions and emergency medical response. In announcing the broader contract, Lockheed Martin said the new aircraft would support round-the-clock operations across the county’s roughly 4,000-square-mile service area.
County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone has described the Firehawk as the best multi-mission aircraft available, a claim that makes more sense when measured against the age of the existing fleet. The department’s three S-70A helicopters, acquired in 2000 and 2004, have logged more than 19,000 combined operational hours, according to the Los Angeles Daily News.
How Trade Policy Reached The Firehouse
The tariff component traces back to the Trump administration’s 2025 trade framework with the European Union. The White House described the agreement as establishing a 15% tariff rate on EU goods, turning an international trade policy into a very local cost for Los Angeles County taxpayers.
The helicopter purchase also lands alongside another major aerial-firefighting expense. The county recently approved a separate $41.25 million, five-year lease for two SuperScoopers, the water-dropping airplanes that work alongside helicopters during the most dangerous months of the fire season, as previously reported by Hoodline.
Between aging aircraft, leased tankers and tariff-adjusted procurement costs, Los Angeles County’s strategy is clear: build and rent as much aerial firepower as possible before the next major blaze tests the fleet. The final Firehawk price may shift, but the county is already paying a premium to keep emergency aircraft ready for the moment they are needed.
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