NAVAIR Orders 12 More MH-60R Helicopters for Australia

Boatswain’s Mate Seaman Maria Torres signals to an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter attached to Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 48, during flight operations aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Nitze (DDG 94) in the Gulf of Aden Aug. 30. U.S. NAVY / Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Cryton Vandiesal

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy has placed on order to Lockheed Martin to procure 12 more MH-60R Seahawk helicopters for the Australian government.

The Naval Air Systems Command has awarded Lockheed Martin Corp. a $503.7 million firm-fixed-price order for the production and delivery of the 12 MH-60Rs for the Commonwealth of Australia, an Aug. 29 Defense Department contract announcement said. Work on the order is expected to be completed by October 2026.

The sale was approved in October 2021 by the U.S. State Department. The entire sale, including the helicopters, engines, mission systems, guns, spare parts, technical documentation, logistics support and other items was then estimated to total $985 million.

Australia previously ordered 24 MH-60Rs, the last of which was delivered to the Royal Australian Navy in July 2016. One of these was lost in a mishap in the Philippine Sea in October 2021.

The Royal Australian Navy uses its MH-60Rs to perform anti-surface, antisubmarine warfare vertical replenishment, search and rescue, and communications relay missions.

In addition to the U.S. and Australian navies, the MH-60R is operated by or on order for the Royal Danish Air Force, the Royal Saudi Navy, the Republic of Korea Navy, the Indian Navy and the Hellenic Navy.