The U.S. Navy awarded Lockheed Martin a contract to produce six multi-mission MH-60R Seahawk helicopters for the Norwegian government. Designed and built by Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, MH-60R aircraft will enable Norway to perform multiple maritime missions, including search and rescue and coastal and offshore patrol. Norway’s order marks the second MH-60R contract award in less than a month. On Oct. 12, the U.S. Navy awarded Lockheed Martin a contract for eight Spanish Navy MH-60R aircraft. Sikorsky has delivered 330 MH-60R aircraft to five countries. Sixty-four more are on order or in production for India, Greece, South Korea, Australia, Spain and Norway. A first-time operator of SEAHAWK helicopters, Norway is expected to receive all six MH-60R aircraft by 2027.
”This platform has a long and proven track record of reliability and flexibility in operational environments similar to those faced by the Norwegian Air Force and Coast Guard. This is why we believe the MH-60R is the solution that best meets Norway’s current requirements, and why we are very pleased to see this contract moving forward”, said Brigadier General Jarle Nergård, head of the Air Systems Division of the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency.
“Sikorsky and the U.S. Navy have 40 years of experience designing, building and improving SEAHAWK helicopters for operations in extreme maritime environments, and preparing militaries worldwide for ever-evolving threats,” said Hamid Salim, vice president, Sikorsky Maritime Systems.
“The MH-60R is designed for all aspects of land and maritime operations from the vast majority of air-capable ships. We are confident in Norway’s selection of this unmatched, multi-mission helicopter to support their coast guard”, said Capt. William Hargreaves, program manager, H-60 Multi-mission Helicopter Program Office.
The Sikorsky SH-60/MH-60 Seahawk (or Sea Hawk) is a twin turboshaft engine, multi-mission United States Navy helicopter based on the United States Army UH-60 Black Hawk and a member of the Sikorsky S-70 family. The most significant modifications are the folding main rotor blades and a hinged tail to reduce its footprint aboard ships. The U.S. Navy uses the H-60 airframe under the model designations SH-60B, SH-60F, HH-60H, MH-60R, and MH-60S. Able to deploy aboard any air-capable frigate, destroyer, cruiser, fast combat support ship, expeditionary transfer dock, amphibious assault ship, littoral combat ship or 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).
