South Korea selects Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk as next ship-based naval combat helicopter


The Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk, examples above with the US Navy. Photo c/o Naval News.



The South Korean Defense Acquisition Programme Administration (DAPA) announced that it has selected Lockheed Martin's Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk multirole naval helicopter for the Maritime Operations Helicopter (MOH) Batch II program of the Republic of Korean Navy (ROKN).

A total of 12 new naval helicopters, with anti-surface warfare (ASuW) and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capabilities, will be acquire and is expected to cost around US$800 million. The contract is expected to be signed before the end of 2020, and deliveries are expected to be completed by 2025.

The MH-60R won over the Leonardo AW159 Wildcat, which won the Batch I program implemented a few years ago, and delivered 8 helicopters back in 2016. 

Due to the AW159 Wildcat already in service and its cheaper cost, it was expected that Leonardo would win the MOH Batch II program, and was already positioned win its competitors, Sikorsky Lockheed Martin and NH Industries, failed to submit a proposal on the tender's deadline.

But the the US government submitted a price using Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program just before awarding the project to Leonardo, which DAPA used to open a re-open the project tender.

The ROKN intends to deploy the new MH-60R helicopters with its latest naval surface combatants, particularly the KDX-III Batch 2 Aegis destroyers, and FFX Batch III frigates.


[1] Jane's
[2] Defense News
[3] Flight Global

South Korea selects Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk as next ship-based naval combat helicopter South Korea selects Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk as next ship-based naval combat helicopter Reviewed by Asia Pacific Defense Journal on December 23, 2020 Rating: 5

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