KOCHI: The Indian Navy on Thursday received two MH-60R multi-role helicopters manufactured by USA's Lockheed Martin Corporation at Kochi International Airport.
The new helicopters will be initially based at Naval Air Station INS Garuda in Kochi and will be put through intensive flying trials for integration into the Indian Navy fleet. A C-17 special air assignment mission flight of the US Air Force touched down at Kochi airport on Thursday carrying two MH-60R helicopters.
The third helicopter will be delivered in August. The three helicopters will be inducted into the Indian Navy in August. As per the deal, the US will complete the delivery of 24 helicopters in 2025.
The MH-60R is one of the most advanced maritime helicopters in the world and is designed to operate from frigates destroyers and aircraft carriers. It has advanced features for anti-submarine warfare and will replace the ageing fleet of British Westland Seaking anti-submarine helicopters used by the Navy
for surveillance and search and rescue operations.
The Indian government had signed a letter of acceptance with the US government in February 2020 for the procurement of 24 MH-60R helicopters. The first three helicopters were delivered in the US in 2021. The three helicopters are being utilised to train Indian pilots and crew members. The first batch of pilots has
returned after training and the second batch is currently undergoing training in the US.