Indian Navy To Commission First Squadron of Submarine-hunting MH 60R Helicopter on March 6

By Itishree Sethy On Mar 4, 2024

New Delhi: The Indian Navy will commission the newly inducted MH 60R Seahawk (a maritime variant of the Blackhawk helicopter) multi-role helicopter at INS Garuda in Kochi next week, bolstering the Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) capabilities and marking a pivotal moment in India’s Defence modernisation journey.

The Seahawks squadron will be commissioned in the Indian Navy as INAS 334 on March 6.

“The MH 60R helicopter would enhance India’s blue-water capabilities, extending the operational reach of the Navy and supporting sustained naval operations across spectrums and over vast maritime domains,” read a statement from the Indian Navy.

The Indian government signed a deal with the United States of America in February 2020, to acquire 24 fourth-generation MH 60R helicopters. Six of them have been delivered to the Indian Navy so far.

The helicopter is designed for anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW), search and rescue (SAR), medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) and vertical replenishment (VERTREP), said the Navy.

It has been rigorously tested in Indian Reference Atmosphere (IRA) conditions and is fully integrated into the Fleet, the Navy said.

The MH 60R can also fire torpedoes, missiles and advanced precision kill weapon system rockets.