Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk

History of the Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk

The Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk is a naval variant of the ubiquitous UH-60 Blackhawk family of land-based transport helicopters. The origins of the UH-60 can be traced back to the 1970s, when the helicopter first flew on November 29, 1974, and officially entered service with the U.S. Army in 1979. To date, some 4,000 have been delivered and used by several militaries around the world. The UH-60 was subsequently adopted by the U.S.

Navy in naval form and made its maiden flight on December 12, 1979. Officially commissioned in 1984, at the time of writing (2013), frontline service is still in progress. The SH-60 remains the US Navy's primary helicopter.

Although derived from the land-based UH-60, the SH-60 has the surface quality required for a seaplane. These include foldable attachments for onboard loading (stern, horizontal stabilizer, folded main rotor), reinforced substructures for abuse during the ship's landing, and special coatings to protect against the corrosive effects of the Aral Sea air. Prior to the 1970s, the U.S.

Navy relied on its proven Kaman SH-2 Seasprite utility helicopter aboard aircraft carriers and accompanying surface ships. However, Seasprites were introduced in the late 1950s using technology that worked at the time, and were quickly superseded by more modern developments.

As a result, the situation forced the US Navy to modernize its rotorcraft fleet, which included following the US Army's selection of the Sikorsky S-70 helicopter as the primary stand, designated the SH-60 Seahawk. Based on the Sikorsky S-70B model design, the first production version was identified as "SH-60B".

The SH-60F "Sea Eagle" is a special carrier-based anti-submarine platform, 81 of which were produced. The HH-60H "Rescue Eagle", as the name suggests, was used for maritime search and rescue missions, and a total of about 42 were built.

The HH-60 "Jayhawk" is a version based on the HH-60H, designed to meet specific U.S. Coast Guard standards. The MH-60R "Seahawk" is a modernized version of the SH-60B with the "LAMPS Mk III Block II Upgrade" and support for upgraded missiles and torpedoes.

The MH-60S Knight Eagle is a cargo platform designed to replace the aging Boeing CH-46 Sea Knight tandem rotorcraft.

The CH-60E was a proposed troop carrier by the U.S. Marine Corps, but ended up with nothing. Development prototypes for the aforementioned production brands included the YSH-60R (later MH-60R) and the YCH-60S (later MH-60S).

The Seahawk has also been slightly modified for purchase abroad, and its customers consist primarily of US-friendly countries, including Australia, Brazil, Denmark, Greece, Japan, Spain, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, and Turkey. The export version is considered the S-70B Seahawk, while their civilian version is the S-70C.

The SH-60J is an anti-submarine mount for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).

As of early 2013, the US Navy currently has more than 40 SH-60-related squadrons (including reserves) and has procured hundreds of them since 1985, with Sikorsky delivering to various parties during this period More than 700 helicopters.

Specification

Basic

Production

Roles

Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

Armor

Changes