Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk: The World's Best Multi-Mission United States Naval Helicopter

The Sikorsky SH-60/MH-60 Seahawk is a United States Navy twin-turboshaft engine, multi-mission helicopter based on the United States Army's UH-60 Black Hawk and a member of the Sikorsky S-70 family. The most significant modifications were a foldable main propeller and a hinged tail to reduce its footprint on the ship.
The US Navy acquired the H-60 airframe with the model designations SH-60B, SH-60F, HH-60H, MH-60R, and MH-60S. Capable of deployment aboard a frigate, destroyer, cruiser, fast combat support ship, expeditionary transfer dock, amphibious assault ship, littoral combat ship or air-capable aircraft carrier, the Seahawk can handle anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASUW), naval special warfare (NSW) insertion, search and rescue (SAR), combat search and rescue (CSAR), vertical replenishment (VERTREP), and medical evacuation (MEDEVAC). When the SH-60 entered service, it was too large compared to some of the smaller ships in service at the time, so it served alongside the Kaman SH-2F and SH-2G models until 2001.
Early Seahawk models began to be retired in the 2010s and 20s, with the last B models leaving US Navy service in 2015, after more than three decades of flight, and the F and H models in 2016. These models were replaced by the MH- Improved 60R. and S models.
In the 1970s, the US Navy began looking for a new helicopter to replace the Kaman SH-2 Seasprite. The SH-2 Seasprite is used by the Navy as a platform for the Light Airborne Multi-Purpose System (LAMPS) Mark I avionics suite for maritime warfare and secondary search and rescue capabilities. Advances in sensor and avionics technology led to the LAMPS Mk II suite being developed by the Naval Air Development Center. In 1974, the Navy held a competition to develop the MK III Light concept, which would integrate aircraft and ship systems. The Navy selected IBM Federal Systems as the Prime systems integrator for the Lamps MK III concept.
Because the SH-2 was not large enough to carry the equipment the Navy needed, a new airframe was needed. In the mid-1970s, the Army evaluated the Sikorsky YUH-60 and Boeing Vertol YUH-61 for the Utility Tactical Transport Aircraft System (UTTAS) competition. The Navy based its requirements on the Army's UTTAS specifications, to reduce the cost of commonality as a new airframe carrying MK III Light avionics. In April 1977, Sikorsky and Boeing-Vertol submitted proposals for a Navy version of their Army UTTAS helicopter for review. The Navy also looked at helicopters manufactured by Bell, Kaman, Westland and MBB, but these were too small for the mission. In early 1978, the Navy selected Sikorsky's S-70B design, designated the "SH-60B Seahawk".
The SH-60B is deployed primarily on frigates, destroyers, and cruisers. The SH-60B's primary mission is surface warfare and anti-submarine warfare. The aircraft carries a complex sensor system, including a towed magnetic anomaly detector (MAD) and an air-launched sonobuoy. Other sensors include the APS-124 search radar, ALQ-142 ESM system and optional nose-mounted forward infrared (FLIR) turret. Ammunition carried included Mk 46, Mk 50, or Mark 54 Lightweight Torpedoes, AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, and the single-cab door-mounted M60D/M240, or GAU-16, machine gun. 50 in ( 12.7 mm) machine gun.
The standard crew for the SH-60B is one pilot, one ATO/Co-Pilot (Airborne Tactical Officer), and an aviation warfare systems operator (sensor operator). The US Navy operates the SH-60B in its Anti-Submarine Helicopter squadron, Light squadron (HSL). All HSL squadrons were redesignated Helicopter Maritime Strike (HSM) squadrons, and transitioned to the MH-60R between 2006 and 2015.
The SH-60J is a version of the SH-60B for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force with different avionics. The SH-60K is a modified version of the SH-60J. The SH-60J and SH-60K were built under license by Mitsubishi in Japan.
The SH-60F primarily serves as the carrier strike group's primary anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft. The helicopter hunts submarines with an AQS-13 F diving sonar, and carries a 6-tube sonobuoy launcher. The SH-60F was unofficially named "Oceanhawk". The SH-60F could carry Mk 46, Mk 50, or Mk 54 torpedoes for its offensive weapons, and had a choice of fuselage-mounted machine guns, including the M60D, M240D, and GAU-16 (.50 caliber). ) for self-defense. The standard flight crew is one pilot, one co-pilot, one tactical sensor operator (TSO), and one acoustic sensor operator (ASO).
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