New Delhi: The Indian Navy has received the sixth MH-60R “Romeo” helicopter from Lockheed Martin. The US-based defence behemoth announced this on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday. It also said it expects to complete the delivery of all the MH-60R choppers that India ordered by 2025.

The Indian Navy received the first two MH-60R from the US Navy at a ceremony held in a US naval airbase in San Diego, in July 2021.

To boost the Navy’s operational capabilities, the government ordered 24 MH-60R multi-role helicopters in 2020 at a cost of $2.6 billion, which is around ₹216,419,227,350 in today’s exchange rate, with India-specific modifications and weapons. This includes Hellfire air-to-surface missiles and Mark 54 anti-submarine torpedoes.

Apart from ASW, the versatile “Romeo” can also be used for maritime surveillance, anti-smuggling and anti-piracy duties, and search-rescue missions.

These multirole choppers will be deployed on board the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya. Earlier this year, the MH-60R helicopter successfully landed on indigenously built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant and destroyer INS Kolkata.