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Product Type: |
Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) and |
Using Service (US): |
Navy |
Program Status: |
In Production |
Prime Contractors: |
Airframe: Sikorsky Aircraft (United Techn.)
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The Sikorsky MH–60R Seahawk (aka Romeo)
Multi-Mission Helicopter is a twin-engine anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and anti-surface warfare (ASuW) helicopter. The MH-60R is powered by two
General Electric T700-GE-401C turboshaft engines, each delivering 1,800 shp.
The MH-60R is equipped with fully-integrated avionics and mission systems from Lockheed Martin.
The MH-60Rs cutting edge mission systems provide a formidable airborne multi-mission naval platform.
The MH-60R will replace the U.S. Navy's inventory of SH-60B (anti-surface warfare and anti-submarine warfare)
and SH-60F (anti-submarine warfare and search and rescue) helicopters and is designed to combine the capabilities of both.
The MH-60R can carry up to 25 sonobuoys or 3 passengers and 6,000 pounds of external cargo.
The MH-60R made its first flight in July 2001. The first low-rate initial production (LRIP) helicopters were
in fact remanufactured SH-60Bs, however, subsequent LRIP MH-60Rs were all new-build.
The first new-build MH-60R helicopter was delivered in August 2005 and operational evaluation was completed in October 2005.
The U.S. Navy approved the MH-60R for full-rate production on March 31, 2006.
In October 2007, the U.S. Navy established the Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron Seven One (HSM-71)
at Naval Air Station (NAS) North Island, San Diego - the first of five MH-60R squadrons.
In March 2008, the MH-60R conducted its first operations at sea from DDG-88 USS Preble (a DDG 51 Arleigh Burke Class AEGIS destroyer).
In January 2009, the MH-60R was deployed for the first time with the USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) carrier strike group.
The five U.S. Navy squadrons operating the MH-60R are the HSM-40 Airwolves (Mayport, FL), HSM-41 Seahawks (San Diego, CA),
HSM-70 Spartans (Jacksonville, FL), HSM-71 Raptors (San Diego, CA), and the HSM-77 Saberhawks (San Diego, CA).
The MH-60R is designed to operate from destroyers (DDG), cruisers (CG) and aircraft carriers (CVN).
For example, the Littoral Combat Ship,
the DDG 51 AEGIS Destroyer
and the DDG 1000 Zumwalt Destroyer
can each carry up to two MH-60R helicopters. The MH-60R also operates from Nimitz Class
aircraft carriers as part of carrier air wings. A Nimitz Class carrier air wing has four MH-60R or four SH-60F helicopters.
With its glass cockpit, the MH-60R incorporates active matrix liquid crystal displays used to facilitate pilot and co-pilot
vertical and horizontal situation presentations. Another major design feature of the MH-60R is a so-called 'common cockpit'
shared with the MH-60S Seahawk
Fleet Combat Support Helicopter. This allows pilots to shift from one aircraft to another with minimal re-training.
The common cockpit is designed and supplied by Lockheed Martin
Systems Integration in Owego, New York. The common cockpit features the following: four 8x10 inch (20.3 x 25.4 cm) full-color flight and mission displays;
the Rockwell Collins
AN/ARC-210 full digital communications suite; the Northrop Grumman
LN-100G Inertial Navigation System/Global Positioning System (INS/GPS);
the Ku-band Tactical Common Data Link (TCDL) Hawklink System (supplied by Harris Corporation);
a mass memory data storage unit; a ruggedized integrated mission computer;
a flight management computer and operations software; and a full-color, night vision capable, sunlight readable glass cockpit.
The sensors package on the MH-60R includes the Raytheon
AN/AAS-44C(V) forward-looking infrared (FLIR) system for expanded night vision and Hellfire targeting capability;
the Telephonics AN/APS-147 or AN/APS-153(V) multi-mode radar; the Raytheon
AN/AQS-22 Airborne Low Frequency Sonar (ALFS) with expanded littoral and deep-water capability; Military-off-the-shelf (MOTS) based mission and flight management computers;
and the Lockheed Martin
AN/ALQ-210 Electronic Support Measures (ESM) system for passive detection, location and identification.
Countermeasures include the Alliant Techsystems
AN/AAR-47 Missile Approach Warning System; BAE Systems AN/ALQ-144 infra-red countermeasures system;
and BAE Systems AN/ALE-39 chaff and flare decoy dispenser.
As of October 2011, the U.S. Navy has purchased 158 MH-60R Seahawks and plans to buy another 131 helicopters in the fiscal years 2012 to 2016,
resulting in a total of 289 MH-60R production helicopters purchased under this program + 2 research/test aircraft.
A total of 122 MH-60R aircraft have been delivered to the Navy as of February 2012.
The MH-60R has an estimated life of 10,000 flight hours or approximately 22 years.
On June 16, 2011, the U.S. Navy announced that Australia will purchase 24 MH-60R Seahawks for delivery between 2014 to mid-2016 to the Royal Australian Navy.
The MH-60R was selected over the NHIndustries NH90.
On November 21, 2012, the Danish Department of Defense announced its decision to buy nine MH-60R Seahawks for the country's maritime forces.
The MH-60R was selected over the AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat. The aircraft will be deliverd from 2016 to 2018.
The MH-60R Seahawk carries either the M240 7.62mm machine gun or a GAU-21 .50 caliber pylon mounted machine gun and can be equipped with eight AGM-114 Hellfire missiles (on left and right extended pylons - 4 on each side) or three Mk 50 or Mk 54 torpedoes. Also, the MH-60R can carry up to 25 sonobuoys. For more details, see specifications below.
The price of the MH-60R, excluding initial spares and ancillary equipment is $31.78 million (in 2012). The cost of the airframe is $16.62 million, avionics $12.83 million, the engines cost $713,438 each, with other costs making up the remaining $0.90 million.
The total procurement cost of the MH-60R program is estimated at $12.58 billion + $1.68 billion in research and development (RDT&E) funds, which means the total estimated program cost is $14.26 billion (numbers are aggregated annual funds spent over the life of the program and no price/inflation adjustment was made).
The MH-60R Seahawk missions are anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, surveillance, communications relay, combat search and rescue, naval gunfire support and logistics support. The MH-60R will be the forward deployed fleet's primary anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare platform. The MH-60R provides battle group protection and adds significant capability in coastal littorals and regional conflicts.
The FY 2012 budget will purchase 24 helicopters as part of a continuing 5 year multiyear procurement (MYP) of MH-60R Seahawks, from FYs 2012 to 2016. In addition, the request includes funds for a MYP of MH-60 cockpits and sensors for the same period.
The FY 2013 budget will purchase 19 helicopters as part of a continuing 5 year multiyear procurement (MYP) of MH-60R Seahawks, from FYs 2012 to 2016. In addition, the request includes funds for a MYP of MH-60 cockpits and sensors for the same period. For more information, click to view the Full FY 2013 DoD MH-60R Budget.
Source: U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), Sikorsky, General Electric Co.,
Raytheon, and Northrop Grumman.
Last Update: February 25, 2013.
By Joakim Kasper Oestergaard (www.kostergaard.com)
Sikorsky: MH-60R Seahawk
Lockheed Martin: MH-60R Seahawk
Official MH-60R Site: MH-60R Official Page
Radar: Telephonics AN/APS-153
Common Cockpit: Lockheed Martin Common Cockpit
Targeting System: Raytheon AN/AAS-44C(V)
INS/GPS: Northrop Grumman LN-100G GPS/INS
YouTube: MH-60R Seahawk | YouTube
Fact Sheet: MH-60R Seahawk Fact Sheet
Total MH-60R Program Cost: |
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$14.26 billion ($12.58B procurement + $1.68B RDT&E) |
MH-60R U.S. Defense Budget Charts: |
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Primary Function: Anti-submarine warfare (ASW); anti-surface warfare (ASuW) |
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