The Defense Acquisition Program Administration has selected the MH-60R Seahawk as the Maritime Operations Helicopter-II model to be deployed on naval vessels.
The key point is that this involves more than replacing the helicopters themselves: the maritime mission equipment used to locate and respond to submarines and surface targets will also change.
However, what has been finalized this time is the model selection and project plan; it does not mean that about 20 aircraft have already been deployed.
3-Line Summary
1. The Maritime Operations Helicopter-II has been designated as the MH-60R.
2. The project period is 2025–2032.
3. Model selection and actual deployment are separate matters.
The Defense Project Promotion Council Chose the MH-60R on September 15
On September 15, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration deliberated and approved the Maritime Operations Helicopter-II model selection proposal at the 178th Defense Project Promotion Council meeting. Following the purchase testing and evaluation and the negotiations, it made the MH-60R from U.S. company Lockheed Martin, also known as the Seahawk, the final selected model for purchase.
This project is a plan to acquire, through foreign military sales (FMS), a replacement force for the aging Lynx maritime operations helicopters carried aboard Navy destroyers and frigates. The planned acquisition is about 20 aircraft, the project period runs from 2025 through 2032, and the total project cost was presented as 3 trillion 2,000 million 400 million won.
Therefore, the announcement that day should be understood not as an announcement that the Navy has begun operating the new helicopters, but as the stage at which it determined the replacement model and the direction of the long-term acquisition project. The actual acquisition is planned to proceed within the designated project period.
Submarine Detection Equipment and Anti-Ship Weapons Were Mentioned Together
The MH-60R can be equipped with a variable-depth sonar, also known as dipping sonar, which detects, identifies, and tracks submarine signals. Acoustic detection buoys, or sonobuoys, which are dropped into the sea to detect underwater sounds, are also part of its operational equipment.
It is not a helicopter intended only for anti-submarine operations. The explanation provided also includes operations against surface ships, surveillance and reconnaissance, and search-and-rescue missions. It also states that the helicopter can operate Hellfire anti-ship guided missiles capable of precision strikes against maritime targets and Mk-54 lightweight torpedoes for attacking submerged submarines.
The Defense Acquisition Program Administration said it expects the helicopter to have longer endurance than the Lynx, as well as improved capabilities for detecting underwater and surface targets and operating weapons. This reflects the assessment and expectations of the body responsible for pursuing the project; it is not an announcement that the helicopter has already demonstrated verified operational performance independently of the acquisition process through 2032.
What the Term “Maritime Operations Helicopter” Signals
The point worth noting in this decision is the role assigned to a shipborne helicopter, rather than the aircraft’s size or maximum speed. While a ship is moving at sea, the helicopter serves as a means of surveying a wider area and detecting underwater submarine signals and surface targets.
The MH-60R was introduced as having a maximum weight of 10.2t and a top speed of 333㎞/h. From a reader’s perspective, however, the more important information is that this helicopter was selected to use dipping sonar and sonobuoys and to perform anti-submarine and anti-ship missions.
The Maritime Operations Helicopter-II is a replacement project responding to the aging of the Lynx. The model has been determined through this resolution, but the project’s completion date is set for 2032. Not conflating the announced plan with the future acquisition of operational capability as though they occur at the same time is the starting point for understanding the significance of this decision.
References
Tags #MaritimeOperationsHelicopter #Seahawk #MH60R #MaritimeOperationsHelicopter2 #DefenseAcquisitionProgramAdministration #DefenseProjectPromotionCouncil #NavalHelicopter #LynxHelicopter #AntiSubmarineOperations #AntiShipOperations #DippingSonar #Sonobuoy #Hellfire #Mk54LightweightTorpedo