Why in news?

The Indian Navy has commissioned its second MH-60R Seahawk helicopter squadron, INAS 335, at INS Hansa in Goa.

Nicknamed the “Ospreys,” the squadron operates US-origin MH-60R helicopters, the maritime variant of the Black Hawk. These helicopters will significantly enhance the Navy’s anti-submarine warfare, maritime surveillance, and blue-water operational capabilities, strengthening India’s overall naval defence posture.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• MH-60R Seahawks Fully Integrated into Naval Operations
• Key Features of the MH-60R Seahawk Helicopter
• MH-60R: Strengthening India’s Response to Conventional and Asymmetric Maritime Threats
• Five-Year Sustainment Support to Boost MH-60R Operational Readiness

MH-60R Seahawks Fully Integrated into Naval Operations

• With the induction of INAS 335, the Indian Navy has now fully operationalised its MH-60R Seahawk fleet.
• The first squadron, INAS 334, was commissioned at INS Garuda, Kochi, in March 2024, enabling seamless integration across the Navy’s air and sea-based platforms.
• The MH-60R helicopters can operate from shore bases, aircraft carriers, and major warships.
• These are designed for diverse roles including anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW), surveillance, search and rescue (SAR), medical evacuation (MEDEVAC), and vertical replenishment (VERTREP).
• Rigorously tested under Indian Reference Atmosphere (IRA) conditions, the 24 US-acquired helicopters are replacing the ageing Sea King fleet.
• Their induction in 2025 also marks 75 years since the approval of the Indian Navy’s Fleet Air Arm, underscoring a major milestone in naval aviation capability.

Key Features of the MH-60R Seahawk Helicopter

• The MH-60R Seahawk is a highly advanced maritime helicopter developed by Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, to US Navy specifications.
• A variant of the Black Hawk platform, it has also been used in high-profile missions such as Operation Neptune Spear in 2011.
• Equipped with a state-of-the-art digital sensor suite, the MH-60R features multi-mode radar, electronic support measures, infrared cameras, advanced datalinks, aircraft survivability systems, and dipping sonars.
• Its onboard mission system integrates sensor data to generate a comprehensive picture of surface and sub-surface threats.
• This enhanced situational awareness allows precise detection, tracking, and targeting of enemy ships and submarines.
• The helicopter can be armed with torpedoes, air-to-ground missiles, rockets, and onboard guns, making it a powerful platform for anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare.

MH-60R: Strengthening India’s Response to Conventional and Asymmetric Maritime Threats

• The Indian Navy has described the MH-60R Seahawk as a highly agile and versatile platform capable of addressing both traditional and non-conventional maritime threats.
• On the conventional front, its core role is anti-submarine warfare, using dipping sonar, sonobuoys and torpedoes to detect, track and neutralise hostile submarines.
• It can also engage enemy surface ships, conduct mine-related reconnaissance, support sea-denial missions and extend the strike range of warships during blue-water operations in the deep sea.
• Equally significant is its role in countering asymmetric threats such as maritime terrorism, piracy, smuggling, sea-borne infiltration, sabotage of ports and offshore infrastructure, and disruptions by non-state actors.
• The helicopter is also suited to detecting unmanned threats like drones and hostile activity concealed within civilian or fishing vessels.
• As Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh Tripathi has noted, modern maritime power is increasingly shaped by asymmetric capabilities deployed by both state and non-state actors.
• In this evolving security environment, the induction of the MH-60R substantially enhances India’s maritime surveillance, deterrence and response capabilities.

Five-Year Sustainment Support to Boost MH-60R Operational Readiness

• The Ministry of Defence has signed agreements with the United States to provide five years of sustainment support for the Indian Navy’s MH-60R Seahawk fleet.
• This comprehensive package includes spare parts, support equipment, training, technical assistance, repair and replenishment of components, and the establishment of intermediate-level repair and periodic maintenance facilities in India.
• According to the MoD, the support will significantly improve the helicopters’ operational availability and maintainability, enabling all-weather operations from ships and dispersed locations, and ensuring optimal performance across their full range of missions.