A potential $2.6 billion foreign military sale of two dozen UH-60R Seahawks to India was approved April 2 by the U.S. State Department.
Seahawk naval multi-mission helicopters, made by Sikorsky, will allow India to perform anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare and secondary missions including vertical replenishment, search and rescue and communications relay.
India will use the enhanced capability as a deterrent to regional threats and to strengthen its homeland defense, according to the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency.
“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to strengthen the U.S.-Indian strategic relationship and to improve the security of a major defensive partner which continues to be an important force for political stability, peace, and economic progress in the Indo-Pacific and South Asia region,” the DSCA announcement said.
Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems [LMT], which owns Sikorsky, is the prime contractor. Between 20 and 30 U.S. government or Lockheed Martin representatives will be assigned to India as a result of any ensuing contract agreement.
Along with the 24 UH-60R helicopters, India also will purchase 30 APS-153V multimode radars, 60 General Electric [GE] T700-401C engines, dozens of multi-spectral targeting systems and embedded GPS/inertial navigation systems, 1,000 anti-submarine sonobuoys, 10 Hellfire missiles, 38 advanced precision kill weapons system rockets, 30 MK 54 torpedoes, 12 M-240D crew-served guns, 12 GAU-21 crew-served guns, inert and training versions of the Naval Strike Missile and a single legacy Navy MH-60B/R excess defense article aircraft.
Also included are 70 AN/AVS-9 night vision devices, more than 100 radios and transponders, U.S. government and contractor engineering, technical and logistics support services and other related elements of logistical and program support.