SOURCE: IDRW.ORG
The Indian Navy’s acquisition of 24 Lockheed Martin/Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk helicopters, a cornerstone of its maritime modernization efforts, has reached a significant milestone with the 20th helicopter, bearing tail number IN770, recently photographed during flight testing in the United States. The images, shared by aviation enthusiast @RuffneckAviator on X, confirm that IN770, one of the final four “Romeo” helicopters in the $2.12 billion Foreign Military Sales (FMS) deal signed in 2020, is undergoing pre-delivery trials.
This development, signals that the Indian Navy is on track to complete its fleet induction by the end of 2025, significantly enhancing its anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and anti-surface warfare (ASuW) capabilities in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
The MH-60R Seahawk, known as the “Romeo,” is a multi-mission maritime helicopter designed for ASW, ASuW, search and rescue (SAR), and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. Equipped with advanced sensors like the AN/APS-153 multi-mode radar, Advanced Low Frequency Dipping Sonar (ALFS), and a Multi-Spectral Targeting System (MTS-FLIR), the Romeo is considered one of the world’s most advanced naval helicopters. Its weapons suite, to be contracted separately, includes Mk 54 torpedoes, Hellfire missiles, and Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) rockets, making it a formidable platform for countering submarines and surface threats.
The sighting of IN770, captured during a test flight in Owego, New York, where Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky division is based, indicates that the helicopter is in the final stages of pre-delivery checks. The Indian Navy’s acquisition of 24 MH-60R helicopters, formalized in February 2020, aims to replace its aging fleet of British-built Sea King helicopters, which have been in service since the 1970s and are increasingly difficult to maintain due to obsolescence. The Romeos, derived from the Sikorsky S-70B Seahawk and UH-60 Black Hawk family, offer a quantum leap in capability with their “Common Cockpit” avionics suite, advanced electronic warfare systems, and robust survivability features, including missile warners and chaff/flare dispensers.
As of June 2025, the Indian Navy has received at least 19 MH-60Rs, with IN770 marking the 20th unit. The first three helicopters were delivered in 2021 to the U.S. for crew training, followed by additional deliveries to India starting in July 2022 at Cochin International Airport. The Navy commissioned its first MH-60R squadron, Indian Naval Air Squadron (INAS) 334, on March 6, 2024, at INS Garuda in Kochi, under the command of Captain M. Abhisheik Ram. This squadron, designated as a training unit, has been instrumental in developing operational profiles and training syllabi for pilots and ground crew.
The MH-60R fleet is expected to be fully delivered by the end of 2025, with the remaining four helicopters, including IN770, slated to join operational squadrons on India’s western and eastern seaboards. These squadrons will support the Navy’s two fleets, operating from aircraft carriers like INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya, as well as destroyers and frigates, providing critical ASW and ASuW capabilities at strategic choke points like the Strait of Malacca and the Arabian Sea.
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