As part of the deal, the fleet of 24 choppers that the Indian Navy has will get additional Hellfire missiles and MK 54 lightweight torpedoes. The MH-60 Romeo has been in service since 2022 when the first batch of these choppers was delivered in Kochi. These helicopters have been acquired to fill a critical gap of choppers in the navy.

When the contract for the initial purchase was signed with the US, only a limited amount of armaments were procured. The crew of the navy was undergoing training and familiarisation with the new equipment.

The Hellfire missiles are a potent anti-shipping weapon and can be used to take down other ground targets like tanks and command posts as well. They also have limited air-to-air capabilities.

The MK 54 lightweight torpedoes are equipped on these choppers. These torpedoes are also equipped on the P8I maritime aircraft and are known to be very effective against submarines.

The deal to procure the MH 60 choppers was signed on February 24, 2020, at an estimated cost of USD 2 billion (over Rs 16,300 crore). The delivery is expected to be completed by 2025. These naval choppers are manufactured by Lockheed Martin and brings transformational anti-Submarine (ASW) and anti-surface warfare (ASuW) capabilities to navies around the world.

The MH-60R is equipped with digital sensors including multi-mode radar, electronic support measures system, electro-optical/ infrared measures system, electro-optical/ infrared camera, datalinks, aircraft survivability systems, dipping Sonars and sonobuoys. A comprehensive situational picture of the ocean’s surface and the subsea domain is created by the completely integrated mission system after processing sensor data. Weapons include torpedoes, air-to-ground missiles and rockets and crew-served guns.

These choppers are being upgraded constantly with the latest sensors and the best-in-class sustainment program is key to the MH-60R aircraft’s unparalleled mission capability, mission availability and flight readiness.

Lockheed Martin’s performance-based logistics program for MH-60R helicopters enables 95 per cent flight readiness and availability-a rate unmatched by other Maritime helicopters. The US Navy’s MH-60R roadmap will maintain Romeo’s operational edge to 2045 and even way beyond that.

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If the development of the new variant of the Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv is done successfully, the Indian Navy would be looking at placing orders for 50 of these choppers which would help the Indian Navy to deploy choppers on its warships on high seas.

The development of choppers at the helicopter division of the public sector undertaking is being torn up after HAL claimed to the forces that it has been successful in the development of foldable rotors, the sources said. Due to constraints of space on warships, Navies across the globe require helicopters and aircraft to have foldable wings which allow more assets to be parked there.

The frigates and destroyers have relatively smaller parking spaces and foldable rotors of UH Marine would allow them to be kept easily, sources said.The Navy has more than 150 warships in its fleet and wants them to be equipped with at least one helicopter each and is looking at procuring them through the Make in India route first.

In recent times, the Indian Navy has induced around 16 of these ALH Dhruv Mark 3 choppers along with an equal number of machines for the Indian Coast Guard too. For the Indian Navy also, the HAL has been offering a maritime version of the Dhruv but not much could be done due to the lack of capabilities that have been required by the maritime force for operations.

The Indian Navy warships are deployed all along the Indian Ocean Region and warships are provided with helicopters for reconnaissance and surveillance along with other operations required by the fleet to be carried out.

The force will soon get its first set of the 24 MH-60 Romeo choppers from the US which were contracted for in a Foreign Military Sales deal a couple of years ago to meet the urgent requirements of multirole attack and anti-submarine warfare choppers.

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