Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk
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The Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk (or Sea Hawk) is a twin-engine anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter, based on the airframe of the UH-60 Black Hawk. Besides ASW, it is used for search and rescue, drug interdiction, anti-ship warfare, cargo lift, and special operations.
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Background
The SH-60B is used by the US Navy, the Royal Australian Navy and the naval forces of Japan and Spain as an airborne platform based aboard cruisers, destroyers, and frigates. This variant, along with its associated avionics as well as ship-based systems, is also known as the Light Airborne Multi-Purpose System (LAMPS) III and was specifically designed to replace the Kaman SH-2 Seasprite LAMPS I. It carries an APS-124 search radar under the nose, a 25-round sonobouy (sonic detector) dispenser on the port fuselage, and a towed magnetic anomaly detector (MAD). It is capable of firing AGM-119 Penguin anti-ship missiles as well as torpedoes. The SH-60B entered the U.S. fleet in 1984.
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As a further developent, the SH-60F carrier-based variant was developed for the US Navy to replace the SH-3 Sea King and provide close in anti-submarine security for carrier battle groups. It came into service in 1989. The SH-60F variant has no search radar and lost the sonobouy launchers, but is instead equipped with dipping sonar, FLIR, and ESM as well as improved avionics. It serves with the US Navy, and in a different version known as the S-70C with Taiwan. Greece operates a fleet of hybrid SH-60B/F Seahawks, which are referred to as 'Aegean Hawks'.
Also in service with the USN is the HH-60H 'Rescue Hawk', which is armed with a minigun and tasked with insertion of special forces and rescue of downed aircrew, and the CH-60S/MH-60S Knighthawk Fleet Combat Support Helicopter.
The primary differences between the -B, -F, -H, -S versions lie in their various mission-equipment packages. All of them share the same GE T700 1,700 horsepower (1.3 MW) turboshaft engines. The basic airframe has a length of 64.10 feet (19.75 m) and a height of 17 feet (5.2 m).
All US Navy SH-60B, SH-60F, and HH-60H are being converted to a common standard known as the SH-60R, which includes dipping sonar, sonobouys and APS-147 radar but lacks the MAD detector. To address the loss of the -H model as well to replace the existing (and aging) UH-46 Sea Knight vertical replenishment helicopters, the Navy has ordered the development of the CH-60 variant which will begin to enter into fleet service in the early 21st century.
Specifications
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Designation series
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