Indian Navy Inducts MH-60R Seahawk – Free PDF Download

What has happened?

• In yet another sign of strengthening India-US defence relationship,
• The US Navy has handed over the first two MH-60R Multi Role Helicopters (MRH) to the Indian Navy to bolster its capabilities to ward off regional threats and to strengthen homeland defence.
• The Indian Navy is procuring 24 of these helicopters manufactured by Lockheed Martin,
• Under foreign military sales from the US government at an estimated cost of 4 billion.

Induction ceremony

• A ceremony was held at the Naval Air Station North Island or NAS North Island, San Diego on Friday that marked the formal transfer of the helicopters from US Navy to Indian Navy.
• It was attended by India’s Ambassador to the US Taranjit Sandhu.
• The ceremony also witnessed exchange of documents between Vice Adm Kenneth Whitesell, Commander Naval Air Forces, US Navy and Vice Adm Ravneet Singh, DCNS.
• Bilateral defence trade has expanded to over 20 billion dollars in the last couple of years.

About the MH-60R

• The fourth-generation MH-60R helicopter is an all-weather maritime helicopter designed to support multiple missions with state-of-the-art avionics.
• The submarine-hunting choppers will come equipped with torpedoes and missiles.
• Besides anti-submarine warfare, the helicopters will have the capacity to handle anti-surface warfare operations and search and rescue operations including combat search and rescue.
• They will also have the capability to carry out naval special warfare insertions and medical evacuations, a second person said.
• MH-60R ‘Romeo’ helicopters will replace India’s British Sea King helicopters acquired in the

• The package for India, as per the terms of the deal, is expected to include spare parts, air-to-ground weapons support and training of pilots and ground crew.
• The complete delivery of the 24 helicopters is to be done in five years from the time the deal was concluded.

India’s maritime capabilities

• The induction of these MRH would enhance Indian Navy’s three-dimensional capabilities.
• India will use the enhanced capability as a deterrent to regional threats and to strengthen its homeland defence.
• The first batch of the Indian crew is presently undergoing training in the US.
• The Seahawks, when combined with the Indian Navy’s P8-I maritime patrol aircraft and the soon-to-be-acquired Sea Guardian Drones from the US-based General Atomics,
• Will add a lethal punch to the Indian Navy’s submarine-hunting prowess.

Other countries

• The MH-60R is in service with the US Navy, Royal Danish Navy, Royal Australian Navy and
• Royal Saudi Naval Forces.
• Greece is also in the process of acquiring Seahawks for its naval fleet.

conclusion

• This comes against the backdrop of China actively building up its naval forces and deploying submarines in the Indian Ocean region, raising its profile away from home.
• In recent years, Chinese submarine presence in the Indian Ocean region, a major west to east trade route, has been a cause of concern for India.

Q) The Ilyushin Il-78 which is an aerial refueling tanker has been procured from which country?

1. USA
2. Israel
3. France
4. Russia

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