The South Korean Navy operationally deployed the MH-60R Seahawk, a state-of-the-art maritime operations helicopter capable of detecting and attacking North Korean submarines and surface vessels, effective Wednesday.
The Navy held an acceptance ceremony for the MH-60R at the 62nd Maritime Aviation Squadron in Jinhae, South Gyeongsang Province. Two MH-60Rs that have completed operational readiness were the first to be placed on active duty.
South Korea signed a contract with the U.S. government in December 2020 to acquire a total of 12 MH-60Rs through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. The two helicopters mark the first operational deployment under that deal.
The MH-60R performs a wide range of missions at sea, including anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, surveillance and reconnaissance, and search and rescue, backed by advanced detection systems and armaments. The helicopter will primarily operate in the East Sea. With an auxiliary fuel tank installed, it can fly for more than four hours.
The aircraft is equipped with high-performance surveillance and reconnaissance systems including maritime radar, digital electro-optical (EO) and infrared (IR) sensors, and electronic warfare support measures (ESM).
It can also conduct anti-submarine operations across wide sea areas using a dipping sonar — a variable-depth sonar capable of detecting, identifying and tracking submarine signals — and sonobuoys.
For armament, the MH-60R carries Hellfire anti-ship guided missiles capable of precision strikes against maritime targets including North Korean hovercraft and surface vessels, as well as Mk-54 lightweight torpedoes for underwater submarine attacks.
The helicopter has a maximum weight of 10.2 tons, a length of 16.18 meters, a width of 4.37 meters, a height of 5.18 meters, and a maximum speed of 180 knots (333 km/h).
"The Seahawk, which begins full-scale operations from today, will deliver devastating defeat to the enemy and overwhelming victory to our forces with its outstanding detection and tracking capabilities, armaments, and rapid maneuverability, much like the majesty of a hawk," Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Kim Kyung-ryul said.