Romeo helicopters

The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) has unveiled the first of 24 next-generation maritime combat helicopters, the MH-60R Seahawk Romeo, on HMAS Albatross in Nowra.

Australia Defence Minister David Johnston said: "The arrival of the Romeo means that [the] navy will eventually have the capacity to provide eight warships with a combat helicopter at the same time, including the Anzac-class frigates and the new air warfare destroyers.

"They will be fully interoperable with our alliance partner, the US, which brings significant advantages, as well as being a proven capability equipped with highly sophisticated combat systems."

The RAN has already taken delivery of three of the Romeos from the US under a $3.2bn acquisition, with the overall fleet to be delivered incrementally by the end of 2016.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.
"The arrival of the Romeo means that [the] navy will eventually have the capacity to provide eight warships with a combat helicopter at the same time."

Built in collaboration by Sikorsky and Lockheed Martin, the new MH-60R helicopters are integrated with a complete package of sensors and systems that deal with escalating submarine and surface warfare threats.

Johnston added: "They were all very much looking forward to bringing the Romeo back to Australia to begin trials and eventually deploy to navy’s frigates and destroyers. They couldn’t speak more highly of the aircraft, which is very gratifying."

Aimed at replacing the navy’s ageing 16 Bravo Seahawks, the MH-60R will offer assistance to Anzac-class frigates and Hobart-class destroyers.

In addition to executing anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare missions, it can perform secondary missions such as search and rescue, vertical replenishment, naval surface fire support, logistics support, personnel transport, medical evacuation and VHF / UHF / link communication relay.


Image: The RAN took delivery of the first two Romeo helicopters last December. Photo: courtesy of the Lockheed Martin Corporation.

Defence Technology