In a major boost for India’s anti-submarine warfare and fleet support capability, the MH-60R helicopter undertook its maiden landing on the indigenously built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant on Wednesday. The Indian Navy has described this as yet another landmark after the MH-60R multirole helicopters landed for the first time on the home-built destroyer INS Kolkata earlier on May 19, marking a significant milestone. The chopper is also known as Romeo and is known for its exceptional ASW, surveillance, anti-shipping, and search and rescue capabilities.
In an official Tweet, Indian Navy said, “It is a major boost to the Indian Navy’s Anti-Submarine Warfare capability.”
The Indian Navy's MH-60R multirole helicopters landed for the first time on the home-built destroyer INS Kolkata on May 19, which marked an important milestone.
This accomplishment significantly improves the Indian Navy's anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capability. The MH-60R helicopter is a versatile platform known for its exceptional ASW, surveillance, anti-shipping, and search and rescue capabilities, according to the Navy.
It said its integration with Indian Navy warships will boost the navy's ability to counter underwater threats, monitor maritime activity, and conduct surveillance operations.
In a tweet, the Indian Navy earlier said, "The MH-60R is a versatile platform with outstanding ASW, surveillance, anti-shipping, and Search and Rescue capabilities. Integration with IN warships enhances the Navy's ability to counter underwater threats, monitor maritime activity, and conduct surveillance operations".
Lockheed Martin manufactures the MH-60R. Under the framework of a foreign military sales program, India is buying 24 of these helicopters from the US government. These helicopters are being outfitted with India-specific equipment and weapons.
In July 2021, the Navy received two of the choppers from the United States.
According to Lockheed Martin's website, its performance-based logistics programme for the US Navy's MH-60R helicopters achieves 95 per cent flight readiness and availability. It is a rate unrivalled by other maritime helicopters.
The mission system's fully integrated sensor data is processed to create a complete situational picture of the ocean's surface and subsea domain. The crew can track, target, and engage ships or submarines more effectively and efficiently if they have actionable knowledge.