Move to help secure Indian Ocean amid acquisition of subs by China, Pakistan. India has decided to purchase 24 Lockheed Martin’s MH-60R Seahawk for $2.6 billion (around Rs 18,200 crore)

by Ajay Banerjee

A formal contract to get multi-role helicopters for the Navy is expected to be signed by the end of this year. The acquisition will provide “teeth” to the Navy in its role of dominating the Indian Ocean.

The process to finalise modalities for signing the contract is in the finals stages, sources say. The helicopter will have full anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capability, as well as anti-surface warfare capability, including anti-ship missiles.

An ASW-capable helicopter with its sea-dunking sonars is a favoured platform for detecting a submarine as an over-flying helicopter itself cannot be detected or targeted from a submarine.

Such helicopters are needed as over the past one year or more, submarines of the People Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) of China have been constantly noticed in the Indian Ocean. With submarine technology becoming more sophisticated, tracking these under-sea vessels is a challenge. China has 61 submarines, including nine nuclear-powered, allowing longer endurance.

Last year, China signed an agreement with Pakistan for the sale of eight submarines. The first four will be built in China and the remaining four in Pakistan. A submarine, under-sea, can “pin down” six-seven warships just by instilling the fear of unknown and can also track ship movement.

India has selected the Lockheed Martin’s MH-60R Seahawk for its needs. Twenty-four of these are being purchased for $2.6 billion (around Rs 18,200 crore).

The helicopter will add to the potential of the Navy’s Boeing P-8I maritime patrol aircraft. Eight of the P8I are in the fleet and another four are on order. The aircraft have the ability to quickly search a wide area of water, the helicopters can then be launched from ship decks to specific areas. The Indian Navy uses the Seaking Mk 42B and the Kamov 28 copters as ship-deck option. Both are of the 1980’s vintage design and are being upgraded now.

In April, the US cleared the sale of MH-60R Seahawk maritime helicopters to India for an estimated $2.6 billion. This will be the third type of helicopter to be okayed by the US for India in the past five years or so. Earlier this year, the first four of the 15 Boeing-made Chinook heavy-lift helicopters were inducted at Chandigarh air base.

In the next few weeks, the induction of the 22 Apache attack helicopters, also made by Boeing, will commence.

MH-60R Seahawk

India has decided to purchase 24 Lockheed Martin’s MH-60R Seahawk for $2.6 billion (around Rs 18,200 crore)

It will have full anti-submarine warfare capability, as well as anti-surface warfare capability, including anti-ship missiles