Norway Enhances Maritime Operations with New Sikorsky MH-60R Helicopters
The U.S. Navy has conferred a contract to Lockheed Martin for the construction of six versatile MH-60R Seahawk® helicopters intended for the Norwegian government. Engineered and manufactured by Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin subsidiary, the MH-60R aircraft will empower Norway to execute a range of maritime operations, encompassing search and rescue missions as well as coastal and offshore patrol activities.
“Sikorsky, alongside the U.S. Navy, boasts 40 years of expertise in the design, production, and enhancement of SEAHAWK helicopters tailored for operations in demanding maritime conditions, while equipping military forces globally for continually emerging threats,” stated Hamid Salim, vice president of Sikorsky Maritime Systems.
Rely on the SEAHAWK
Norway and other countries can rely on the SEAHAWK aircraft for:
- exceptional reliability
- cutting-edge mission systems and sensors
- economical flight hour expenses, and
- reduced maintenance and support costs.
Norway’s order signifies the second MH-60R contract awarded within a month. On October 12, the U.S. Navy granted Lockheed Martin a contract for eight MH-60R aircraft for the Spanish Navy.
Sikorsky has successfully delivered 330 MH-60R aircraft to five nations. An additional sixty-four are currently on order or in production for India, Greece, South Korea, Australia, Spain, and Norway.
”This platform showcases a long-standing and proven record of dependability and versatility in operational environments akin to those encountered by the Norwegian Air Force and Coast Guard. This is why we believe the MH-60R stands as the optimal solution fulfilling Norway’s present needs, and why we are delighted to see this contract advancing,” remarked Brigadier General Jarle Nergård, head of the Air Systems Division of the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency.
As a first-time operator of SEAHAWK helicopters, Norway anticipates receiving all six MH-60R aircraft by the year 2027.
“The MH-60R is engineered for all facets of both land and maritime missions, compatible with the vast majority of air-capable vessels,” noted Capt. William Hargreaves, program manager for the H-60 Multi-mission Helicopter Program Office. “We are confident in Norway’s choice of this unparalleled multi-mission helicopter to bolster their coast guard operations.”
