The number of MH-60R ‘Romeo’, which is the US Navy’s primary anti-submarine and surface warfare helicopter, has risen to 350 with the latest delivery announced by Lockheed Martin.
The chopper was delivered to HSM-41, the US Navy’s Helicopter Maritime Strike Fleet Replacement Squadron, which trains the newest naval aviators and air crewmen in the US Pacific Fleet to fly the MH-60R helicopter, Lockheed Martin said in a press statement.
This milestone marks a significant achievement in the production and delivery of what is known as the world’s most advanced naval helicopter.
“The delivery of the 350th MH-60R helicopter is a testament to the exceptional capabilities of this aircraft and the dedication of our team,” Ali Ruwaih, Maritime Systems vice president, was quoted as saying in the press statement. “We are proud to support the US Navy and our global partners with this highly advanced multi-mission platform, which will remain a critical component of global ASW operations for decades to come.”
The MH-60R is part of the larger MH-60 Seahawk family and is responsible for critical roles like anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW), search and rescue (SAR), combat search and rescue (CSAR), vertical replenishment (VERTREP), special operations support, among other things that keep America’s adversaries on the lookout.
“The MH-60R has been the US Navy’s primary anti-submarine and surface warfare helicopter since 2010. This true multi-mission asset has proven itself across all aspects of land and maritime operations, meeting various mission requirements around the globe. We are grateful to the artisans at Sikorsky for keeping this invaluable asset at the ready for all our service men and women for decades to come,” said Captain William Hargreaves, H-60 Multi-Mission Helicopters program manager.
The MH-60R has a proven combat record that the US Navy swears by. In late 2023, for instance, MH-60R operating with the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group, engaged Houthi assault boats that were attempting to seize a merchant vessel.
Last year, the chopper, armed with an advanced sensor suite and rapid engagement capability, shot down an enemy drone during a maritime security patrol in the Gulf of Aden.
The MH-60 also got some bad press last year when it mysteriously crashed in the South China Sea. On October 26, a US Navy MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to the ‘Battle Cats’ of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 73 crashed while operating out of the supercarrier USS Nimitz.
The US recovered the MH-60R, along with an F/A-18 Super Hornet, in an attempt to prevent China from accessing the sensitive technology on board.
The chopper remains a highly reliable US platform that has demonstrated unmatched multi-mission capabilities since achieving full operational capability in 2010, achieving the highest mission-capable rates of any maritime helicopter.
Besides the US Navy, the MH-60R “Romeo” has been purchased by Australia, India, Denmark, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Spain, and Norway. Additionally, New Zealand announced in August 2025 that it wanted to acquire five MH-60R, but the procurement process hasn’t started yet.
Earlier in December, the Indian Ministry of Defense (MoD) signed a $946 million sustainment deal for the 24 helicopters.
“Great news in our defense relationship with India. India’s Ministry of Defense signed a sustainment package for its 24 MH-60R Seahawk helicopters, developed by Lockheed Martin. This 946 million dollar package will enhance the Indian Navy’s maritime capabilities, build interoperability with the US and regional partners, and make both our nations safer and more prosperous,” the US State Department wrote on X at the time.
MH-60 Romeo Dominates The Skies Above Seas
The Sikorsky MH-60R has established itself as the world’s leading anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter, a feat attributed to its sophisticated sensors, integrated mission systems, precision weaponry, and network-centric capability.
The MH-60R helicopter’s fully-integrated mission system processes sensor data to build a complete situational picture of the ocean surface and subsea domain. Additionally, systems like the AN/APS-153 radar and AN/ALQ-210 enable all-weather, day-and-night operations to track surface vessels, submarines, and even low-observable threats.
With actionable intelligence, the MH-60R crew can track, target, and engage ships or submarines effectively and efficiently, keeping an eye on China’s growing submarine fleet and Russian submarine activity in the far seas.
The chopper’s weapons include torpedoes, air-to-ground missiles, rockets, and crew-served guns. The MH-60R Seahawk helicopter brings transformational anti-submarine (ASW) and anti-surface warfare (ASuW) capabilities to global navies, Lockheed Martin says.
However, in addition to its primary mission weapons, it can be equipped with a crew-served door gun, such as an M240 7.62mm machine gun or a .50-caliber machine gun like the GAU-21/A/A. It can also carry up to eight AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-ground anti-tank missiles, primarily used for force protection against small boats, as well as the Advanced Precision Kill Weapons System II for engaging enemy drones.
The MH-60R’s network-centric architecture improves situational awareness and facilitates coordinated Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) operations by enabling smooth communication and data sharing with other ASW units. The aircraft’s open-architecture avionics suite enables quick integration of new sensors and weaponry in line with Lockheed Martin’s 21st Century Security framework, making it more adaptable and reliable.
Interestingly, the delivery and production milestone comes at a time when the US Navy is looking to replace its fleet of Seahawks with a family of crewed and uncrewed helicopters. In fact, Lockheed itself is developing two designs to significantly increase the range of the Sikorsky MH-60R/S Seahawk, providing the US Navy with alternatives to the crewed helicopter in the Future Vertical Lift-Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) family.
The Advanced Single Main Rotor (A-SMR) proposal suggests expanding the Seahawk’s existing maximum range of 220 nm to 500 nm by adding a hybrid-electric motor. In contrast, the Enhanced Single Main Rotor (E-SMR) increases range to 280nm by adding fuel while maintaining the current drivetrain layout.
For now, however, the delivery of the 350th MH-60R will bolster the Navy’s ability to dominate maritime domains through superior ASW/ASuW capabilities, crew training continuity, and fleet sustainment in an era of great power competition with China’s rise in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. The Romeo’s service life is expected to extend into the 2050s, the manufacturer stated.
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