Indian MH-60R Helicopters For Indian Navy To Be Of Saudi Caliber, With Certain Modifications

25 March, 2020

New Delhi, March 26: The 24 Sikorsky MH-60R Sea Hawk multi-role helicopters ordered for Indian Navy after signing the deal with the US when President Donald Trump visited India, those helicopters will now be built to the latest Saudi Arabian configuration, with some additional national-specific modifications.

The new initial Indian baseline standard was disclosed on the US government’s beta.sam.gov website on Tuesday. It was noted that the 24 helicopters recently ordered by the Indian government will be built to the same configuration as the 10 helicopters received by the Royal Saudi Naval Forces (RSNF) but with some “unique modifications” also included.

“The RSNF MH-60Rs that were delivered from September 2018 are of a similar anti-surface vessel warfare (ASuW) and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) standard to the latest helicopters flying with the US Navy (USN), including AN/AAS-44C(V) multi-spectral targeting systems, AN/AVS-9 night-vision goggles, AN/SSQ-36/53/62 sonobuoys, Raytheon MK 54 torpedoes, and crew-served weapons,” the statement read.

“The helicopters built by a Lockheed Martin company, has anti-surface, anti-submarine warfare, search and rescue missions capabilities, that will prove to be a very potent weapon against rising Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean Region. They have advanced combat systems like sensors, missiles, and torpedoes to track and hunt enemy boats and submarines. The helicopter can easily strike fear in a submarine Captain’s mind, it further added.

The Indian Navy has been looking to replace its fifteen remaining Westland Sea King naval helicopters for nearly fourteen years. Meanwhile, the anti-submarine warfare is a growing concern for the Indian Navy as China’s PLA Navy is building towards operating the world’s largest submarine fleet and possesses roughly four times as many as India.

However, those helicopters in addition to the RNSF standard that will form the baseline configuration, the Lockheed Martin AGM-114R Hellfire II air-to-surface missile will not be carried. Similarly, the BAE Systems Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) which, while integrated by the USN, is not typically carried.

However, according to the reports, the Indian Navy is to fit its MH-60R helicopters with the Kongsberg Naval Strike Missile becoming the first country to fit any helicopter with the anti-ship missile.

Courtesy: Janes