A squadron comprising six MH 60R multi-mission helicopters – the Indian Navy version of the helicopters that were used to attack the hideout of fugitive Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan in 2011 — will be commissioned into the Navy in March at INS Garuda, the naval air station in Kochi.
They are being inducted to make good the shortage of Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) helicopters in the Navy. These over 10-tonne helicopters that were shown to mediapersons at INS Garuda on Thursday, would be a game changer for the Navy since they can go into harm’s way, neutralise enemy targets, and safely return to ships, becoming the sole fleet of helicopters with the Navy to have self-defence capability. They can fire torpedoes, missiles and advance precision kill weapon system rockets. Their self-protection suite on them comprises chaff and infrared flares, which can be deployed automatically upon detection of threat, said the Navy’s pilots and engineers who are familiar with their capabilities.
Indigenous equipment
The other unique feature is that their communication cannot be intercepted. They also come with the most advanced helicopter sonar to detect submarines at longer ranges. Yet another feature that makes the Indian Navy version stand out from MH 60R helicopters used by other countries is that they come with indigenously developed equipment – data link, satellite communication, depth charges, friend/foe identification capability, and search and rescue equipment.
The Navy had negotiated a government-to-government deal in February 2020 to acquire 24 of these helicopters from the U.S., following which Lockheed Martin released the ‘first look’ of the MH 60R helicopter. The maiden flight of the first production helicopter was done at New York in May 2021. The squadron of these helicopters would be commissioned into the Navy as INAS 334 and would be under the command of Capt. Abhisheik Ram.
Reminding that India’s naval aviation history began in Kochi in 1953, Capt. Ram told mediapersons that the vast array of indigenous equipment on board would make MH60R helicopters reliable and future-proof – elements that are vital for sustained conflicts.
Commences operation
The helicopters have commenced operation from various ships, including the indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, for fleet exercises and operations. They achieved their full combat capability in a short span and integrated with the Indian Navy, going on to participate in the recently held multinational MILAN exercise on India’s eastern seaboard. They can also be used to medical evacuation and search and rescue. The personnel of the squadron include two women operations officers.
“Their integration with INS Vikrant has set the stage for the fleet to be deployed well beyond the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), without the fear of lurking submarines of India’s adversaries. They can also thrive in digital battlespace and network centric operations. The Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) is in an advanced stage of designing a deck-based multi-role helicopter that would share many common features with their MH 60R counterpart,” sources said.
