The U.S. Navy’s ongoing love affair with the Seahawk helicopter shows little sign of abating: it has recently taken delivery of its 350th MH-60R “Romeo” variant.
As per Lockheed Martin (LM), which acquired the platform’s manufacturer Sikorsky back in 2015, the service’s 350th MH-60R airframe was delivered to HSM-41, the U.S. Navy’s Helicopter Maritime Strike Fleet Replacement Squadron earlier this month.
The helicopter is a marinized version of the Black Hawk widely used by the U.S. Army, featuring modifications including folding rotors and a hinged tail for reduced-footprint storage on board vessels.
Maritime Systems vice president at LM Ali Ruwaih commented: “The delivery of the 350th MH-60R helicopter is a testament to the exceptional capabilities of this aircraft and the dedication of our team.”
He added: “We are proud to support the U.S. Navy and our global partners with this highly advanced multi-mission platform, which will remain a critical component of global ASW operations for decades to come.”
The helicopter is widely used by the U.S. Navy for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and surface warfare. Other international operators include Australia, Denmark, Saudi Arabia, India, Greece and South Korea.
Orders have also been placed by Norway and Spain, for six and eight helicopters respectively, and both are expecting to start receiving deliveries this year.
- You can read more details on the Lockheed Martin website