Featured Image: A Sea King Helicopter with the Indian Navy | Credits: Getty Images
India will soon send a team to the USA for the induction of the MH-60 “Romeo” multi-mission helicopters. The choppers, produced by Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, are expected to be a significant capability jump for the Indian Navy in detecting and destroying enemy submarines lurking in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
This year, the Navy will − under the ₹15,157 crore ($2.13 billion) contract inked with the US in February 2020 − receive at least 3 of the 24 heavy duty helicopters, equipped with multi-mode radars and night-vision devices as well as armed with Hellfire missiles, MK-54 torpedoes and precision-kill rockets.
The MH-60Rs are a replacement for the older Sea King 42/42A helicopters that were retired in the 1990s.
The 140-warship navy is currently strapped for antisubmarine warfare helicopters (ASW), with only a handful of old Kamov-28s and Sea Kings in its arsenal, while the presence of Chinese nuclear and diesel electric submarines is only going to increase in the IOR.
ASW choppers usually fly ahead of warships to “dunk” their sonars into deep waters, “ping” for enemy submarines, and then fire missiles, torpedoes and depth charges to clear the path for the incoming fleet during hostilities. They can also undertake over the horizon network-centric operations, antiship strikes and electronic warfare missions.
“All the 24 MH-60R helicopters, which will operate from frontline warships including aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, will be inducted by end-2023 or so. It will somewhat plug the critical operational gap on this front. The team of pilots and technicians for training and induction of the MH-60Rs will be going to the US in May-June,” an official with the defence ministry said.
Some years ago, the Navy also projected a long-term requirement for another 123 naval multi-role helicopters (NMRHs), after the 24 MH-60Rs, which were to be developed in India under the strategic partnership model as part of an as-yet unmaterialised “Make in India” project.
Manufactured by Sikorsky-Lockheed Martin, the MH-60Rs will be the third type of iconic US helicopters to be inducted by Indian armed forces. The Air Force has already inducted 22 Apache attack (for ₹13,952 crore) and 15 heavy-lift Chinook (₹8,048 crore) choppers, both produced by Boeing.
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