The U.S. Navy recently said that Australia picked the MH-60R SEAHAWK helicopter to fulfill the Australian Defence Force’s AIR 9000 Phase 8 requirement for a fleet of 24 multi- role naval combat aircraft. They will buy the helicopters with associated training and logistical support via the U.S. Government’s Foreign Military Sales program.
The U.S. Navy is supported by its proposal group Team Romeo, consisting of Sikorsky [UTX], Lockheed Martin [LMT], General Electric [GE], Raytheon [RTN], and CAE.
Australia this week signed the Letter of Acceptance, a formal agreement with the U.S. Navy. The Letter of Acceptance marks the first-ever purchase of the U.S. Navy’s MH-60R helicopter outside the United States. The Australian Navy is expected to take delivery of the first two MH-60R helicopters in 2014.