The Naval Air Systems Command of the US Navy on Tuesday (April 20) announced that the first MH-60R anti-submarine warfare helicopter for the Indian Navy had made its maiden flight. The first helo is likely to arrive in India by the end of July.
The aircraft is part of the 24 ordered by the Narendra Modi government last year from the US under a nearly USD 2.4 billion deal.
On its official Twitter handle, NAVAIR informed the first flight of the MH-60R happened at Owego in New York state, where Lockheed Martin, the aircraft’s builder, has a test facility.
MH-60R Seahawk
MH-60R Seahawk is a multi-mission helicopter manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft. The helicopter is equipped for a range of missions, including anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW), search-and-rescue (SAR), naval gunfire support (NGFS), surveillance, communications relay, logistics support and personnel transfer, and vertical replenishment (VERTREP).
General characteristics
- Crew: 3–4
- Capacity:Â 5 passengers in cabin, slung load of 6,000Â lb (2,700Â kg) or internal load of 4,100Â lb (1,900Â kg) for B, F, and H models / 6,684Â lb (3,032Â kg) payload
- Length:Â 64Â ft 8Â in (19.71Â m)
- Height:Â 17Â ft 2Â in (5.23Â m)
- Empty weight:Â 15,200Â lb (6,895Â kg)
- Gross weight:Â 17,758Â lb (8,055Â kg) for ASW mission
- Max takeoff weight:Â 23,000Â lb (10,433Â kg)
- Powerplant: 2 × General Electric T700-GE-401C turboshaft engines, 1,890 shp (1,410 kW) each for take-off
- Main rotor diameter:Â 53Â ft 8Â in (16.36Â m)
- Main rotor area: 2,262.3 sq ft (210.17 m2)
Performance
- Maximum speed:Â 146Â kn (168Â mph, 270Â km/h)
- Never exceed speed:Â 180Â kn (210Â mph, 330Â km/h)
- Range:Â 450Â nmi (520Â mi, 830Â km)
- Service ceiling:Â 12,000Â ft (3,700Â m)
- Rate of climb:Â 1,650Â ft/min (8.4Â m/s)
Armament
- Up to two Mark 46 torpedoes or Mk 50 or Mk-54s or two 120 U.S. gal (454 L) fuel tanks for SH-60B and HH-60R and MH-60R
- AGM-114Â Hellfire missile, 4 Hellfire missiles for SH-60B and HH-60H and MH-60R, 8 Hellfire missiles for MH-60S Block III.
- M60 machine gun or, M240 machine gun or GAU-16/A machine gun or GAU-17/A Minigun
Check out Naval Library App to find out the specifications of the Naval Aircraft.

