Navy to buy 24 MH-60R multi-role helicopters from US
Two days after signing a $3-billion defence deal related to the acquisition of Seahawk multi-role helicopters for the Indian Navy and Apache attack helicopters for the Army, the Indian Navy has announced that 24 MH-60R multi-role helicopters (MRH) will be procured under the Buy (Global) category through Foreign Military Sales. A contract for the MRH was signed on February 25.
India and the US have concluded defence deals for 24 MH-60R MRH and six AH-64E Apache helicopters.
The Indian Navy said the MH-60R MRH are a replacement for the Sea King 42/42A helicopters, inducted in the 1970s and decommissioned in the 1990s. The Lockheed Martin-built helicopters are envisaged to operate from frontline ships and aircraft carriers providing them critical attributes of flexibility of operation, enhanced surveillance and attack capability.
