South Korea has taken delivery of its first of 12 Sikorsky MH-60R naval helicopters, with the type set to enter service in 2026.
The first helicopter arrived via sea on 25 February, and has completed its initial flight tests inside the country, according to Seoul’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).
Subsequent rotorcraft will arrive over the course of 2025, pending service entry next year.
The helicopters will be operated by the navy’s 62nd Maritime Aviation Sqn.
“The MH-60R, introduced in conjunction with the navy’s combat ship construction project, is deployed at sea to perform anti-submarine warfare [ASW], anti-surface warfare, surveillance and reconnaissance, and rescue missions, and can fly for up to four hours when equipped with an auxiliary fuel tank,” says the DAPA.
It adds that the helicopters are especially well suited for ASW operations against North Korean submarines. In addition, the type’s Lockheed Martin AGM-114 Hellfire missiles can engage “surface ships and other maritime targets including North Korean hovercraft”.
Seoul made a W960 billion ($664 million) order for the 12 helicopters in December 2020 under its Maritime Operations Helicopter (MOH) requirement, obtaining them through the US government’s Foreign Military Sales (FMS) process.
When the MOH deal was originally announced in 2017, the DAPA said the 12 additional rotorcraft were required owing to the increased submarine threat from North Korea. At that time, it was considering three types: the Leonardo Helicopters AW159, MH-60R, and NH Industries’ NH90.
Ultimately only the Leonardo (then named AgustaWestland) team submitted a bid for the deal. South Korean media reports indicated that the DAPA planned to go with the AW159 on a sole-source supplier basis, but then Washington DC said it would offer pricing for the MH-60R under the FMS mechanism.
Subsequently, the DAPA issued a second request for proposals in May 2019, with the US government issuing an MH-60R FMS case three months later, pegging the value of the 12-helicopter deal at $800 million. In addition to the helicopters, the purchase also includes weapons, sonobouys, radars and communications equipment, as well as training and support.
According to Cirium, an aviation analytics company, there are 303 in-service MH-60Rs globally, of which 246 serve with the US Navy. In the Asia-Pacific Australia and India also operate the type.
