Critical Advancements: Spanish Navy’s MH-60R SEAHAWK Helicopter Fleet Upgrade
financialexpress.comAmerican aerospace giant Lockheed Martin has secured a contract from the US Navy to manufacture eight Sikorsky MH-60R SEAHAWK helicopters for the Spanish Navy (Navy). These helicopters are equipped with state-of-the-art mission systems and sensors specially designed for anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare.
The Spanish Navy’s forthcoming MH-60R aircraft will bring substantial enhancements, significantly expanding the range of maritime capabilities that are currently carried out by their existing SH-60B SEAHAWK fleet. It is important to note that Sikorsky is a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin.
“The operational effectiveness of the MH-60R multi-mission helicopter is a direct result of the continued investment of the U.S. Navy, Sikorsky, and our partner suppliers in air vehicles, mission systems, and sensors,” stated Hamid Salim, the vice president of Sikorsky Maritime Systems.
In 2022, the Navy decommissioned the final 18 Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King helicopters, marking the conclusion of deliveries that began in 1966. Between 1988 and 2001, the Navy acquired 12 SH-60B aircraft and, more recently, procured eight retired SH-60F SEAHAWK helicopters from the US Navy.
The Navy has stated, “The new MH-60R will upgrade the mission systems and sensors of the SH-60B fleet, elevating the Navy to the highest level of anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare capability. We expect a smooth transition from the SH-60B to the MH-60R.”
Spain’s acquisition of eight new MH-60R aircraft will bring them into the esteemed company of a worldwide fleet that includes 330 operational units with the US Navy, Australia, Denmark, Saudi Arabia, and India. Deliveries of aircraft to Greece and South Korea are set to commence in 2024. Back in May, the US
