India Approves $2.4B Sale of two dozen MH-60R Choppers

  • Our Bureau
  • 06:23 PM, February 19, 2020
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India Approves $2.4B Sale of two dozen MH-60R Choppers

India's Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) cleared a $2.4 billion (INR 17,177 crore) deal to purchase 24 multi-role Sikorsky MH-60 'Romeo’ anti-submarine helicopters for the Indian Navy.

Donald Trump, President of the United States is set to visit India on February 24-25. It is not known when a formal announcement will be made and when an actual deal will be signed, the Indian media reported Wednesday.

India Approves $2.4B Sale of two dozen MH-60R Choppers

In August 2018, then Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had approved the contract for the choppers. The deal is being done under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route. A year later, the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), which administers the FMS program, announced that the State Department made a determination approving a possible FMS to India of 24 MH-60R Multi-Mission helicopters for an estimated cost of $2.6 billion (INR 18,608 crore).

Each helicopter will cost about $100-109 million (around INR 760 crore) which includes accessories, spare parts, tech support and the cost of establishing maintenance facilities for the new type of helicopter.

India Approves $2.4B Sale of two dozen MH-60R Choppers

Built by Lockheed Martin, this helicopter is a naval version of Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk and a member of the Sikorsky S-70 family. The most significant modifications are the folding main rotor and a hinged tail to reduce its footprint aboard ships.

Able to deploy aboard any air-capable frigate, destroyer, cruiser, fast combat support ship, amphibious assault ship, or aircraft carrier, the Seahawk can handle anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASUW), naval special warfare (NSW) insertion, search and rescue (SAR), combat search and rescue (CSAR), vertical replenishment (VERTREP), and medical evacuation (MEDEVAC).

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