Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: After indirectly attacking India on multiple fronts in the last few months of its rather uneventful term, the outgoing US President Joe Biden’s “Democratic” administration has approved a nearly USD 1.2 billion MH-60R defense helicopter equipment sale to the largest democracy, to deny the incoming Trump 2.0 administration from taking the credit.
The Biden administration on Monday notified the US Congress of its decision to approve the sale of MH-60R multi-mission helicopter equipment and related supplies at an estimated cost of USD 1.17 billion, the media reported on Tuesday.
These are part of a USD 2.6-billion Foreign Military Sales deal for 24 Lockheed Martin/Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk anti-submarine warfare and anti-surface warfare helicopters. The deal was announced by India and the US in February 2020, with delivery of the entire fleet expected to be completed by 2025.
This approval came barely seven weeks before Donald Trump’s inauguration as the 47th US President on January 20, 2025. Anticipating that the Trump 2.0 administration would anyway clear the remaining part of the deal, the prevaricating Biden government struck early to approve it.
The proposed sale will improve India’s naval capability to deter current and future threats by upgrading its anti-submarine warfare capabilities, reports quoting the Defence Security Cooperation Agency’s notification to the US Congress said.
The reports said that India had in 2020 sought to buy 30 Multifunctional Information Distribution System-Joint Tactical Radio Systems (MIDS-JTRS), and purchase advanced data transfer systems, external fuel tanks, forward-looking infrared (FLIR) systems, support and test equipment, munitions, and integration and test support, among other things.
The principal contractor in the deal will be Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems. The MH-60R helicopters are manufactured by Sikorsky, a subsidiary of aerospace giant Lockheed Martin.
On March 6, 2024, the Indian Navy commissioned its first squadron of the then newly-inducted MH-60R Seahawk multi-role helicopter at INS Garuda, Kochi. The Seahawk is a maritime variant of the better-known Blackhawk helicopter.
These are part of a USD 2.6-billion Foreign Military Sales deal for 24 Lockheed Martin/Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk anti-submarine warfare and anti-surface warfare helicopters, which are also designed for search and rescue, medical evacuation, command and control, and vertical replenishment missions. They are armed with torpedoes, air-to-ground missiles, rockets, and crew-served guns, including Hellfire air-to-surface missiles and Mark 54 anti-submarine torpedoes.
The MH-60Rs to be used by the Indian Navy are equipped with specialized systems tailored to Indian requirements and customized, including the addition of Identification Friend-or-Foe (IFF) transponder units from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). Lockheed is also collaborating with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) to integrate such systems.
The Indian Navy’s Seahawks are also equipped with a mission sensor suite, including the APS-153 multimode radar, which features periscope detection modes to enhance the helicopter’s submarine hunting capabilities.