Australian Navy to receive 12 additional MH-60R Seahawk helicopters from US

Asia-Pacific, News, US September 22, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

American defense manufacturer Lockheed Martin received a contract from U.S. Navy to produce additional 12 Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk helicopters for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).

The RAN will procure the new Seahawk helicopters via the U.S. Government’s Foreign Military Sales agreement and a third ‘Romeo’ squadron will be added to the RAN’s Fleet Air Arm.

Vice President of the Sikorsky Maritime & Mission Systems, Hamid Salim said “The ‘Romeo’ Seahawk helicopter instills confidence in navies worldwide for its high operational availability in the harsh maritime environment, and for the fully integrated mission systems and sensors that quickly generate a complete picture of the surface and subsurface domains.”

“Ongoing and planned upgrades to the MH-60R through partnership with the U.S. Navy, RAN, other international partners and industry will ensure the aircraft’s reliability and mission effectiveness against emerging threats for decades to come,” Salim added.

The Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk helicopter is considered the world’s most advanced maritime helicopter and can be operated from frigates, destroyers, cruisers, and aircraft carriers. Apart from the U.S., the Royal Australian Navy was the first international client to select the MH-60R and acquired 24 helicopters from 2013 to 2016.

Head Navy Capability for the Royal Australian Navy Rear Admiral Peter Quinn said that “Built upon a decade of partnership with the United States Navy and Lockheed Martin, the MH-60R ‘Romeo’ multi-mission helicopter provides the Royal Australian Navy with an unparalleled maritime aviation platform. The versatility of the MH-60R to conduct a wide range of missions combined with the world-class support provided by our partners, was a significant factor in the decision by the RAN to make an additional investment in MH-60R under the SEA 9100 Phase 1 program.”

Under the Australian Government’s Project SEA 9100 Phase 1 (Improved Embarked Logistics Support Helicopter Capability), the additional 12 helicopters will create a joint fleet of maritime aircraft supporting all of the RAN’s air capable platforms, the Lockheed Martin statement highlighted.

Australian Navy's MH-60R helicopter prepares to land on the flight deck, while transiting the Sea of Japan during a Regional Presence Deployment — ^{Australian Navy’s MH-60R helicopter prepares to land on the flight deck while transiting the Sea of Japan during a Regional Presence Deployment. (Image Credit: Royal Australian Navy/via Lockheed Martin)}

According to U.S. Navy H-60 multi-mission helicopters program manager Captain Todd Evans, “The additional 12 MH-60R SEAHAWK aircraft is a testament to the Royal Australian Navy’s commitment to providing their service men and women the right aircraft for their mission needs. This effort continues the long-standing partnership between the United States Navy and the Royal Australian Navy.”

The MH-60R multi-mission maritime helicopter can be used for various missions including Anti-Submarine Warfare and Anti-Surface Warfare, Special Operations, Search and Rescue missions, and airborne mine countermeasures.

More than 300 MH-60R Seahawk helicopters are being used worldwide for International Operations by the U.S. Navy, Royal Danish Navy, Royal Australian Navy, and Royal Saudi Naval Forces.