Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikorsky_SH-60_Seahawk

The Sikorsky SH-60/MH-60 Seahawk (or Sea Hawk) is a twin turboshaft engine,
multi-mission United States Navy helicopter based on the United States Army
UH-60 Black Hawk and a member of the Sikorsky S-70 family. The most significant
modifications are the folding main rotor and a hinged tail to reduce its
footprint aboard ships.

The U.S. Navy uses the H-60 airframe under the model designations SH-60B,
SH-60F, HH-60H, MH-60R, and MH-60S. Able to deploy aboard any air-capable
frigate, destroyer, cruiser, fast combat support ship, amphibious assault ship,
or aircraft carrier, the Seahawk can handle anti-submarine warfare (ASW),
anti-surface warfare (ASUW), naval special warfare (NSW) insertion, search and
rescue (SAR), combat search and rescue (CSAR), vertical replenishment (VERTREP),
and medical evacuation (MEDEVAC).

Origins

During the 1970s, the U.S. Navy began looking for a new helicopter to replace
the Kaman SH-2 Seasprite. The SH-2 Seasprite was used by the Navy as its
platform for the Light Airborne Multi-Purpose System (LAMPS) Mark I avionics
suite for maritime warfare and a secondary search and rescue capability.
Advances in sensor and avionic technology lead to the LAMPS Mk II suite being
developed by the Naval Air Development Center. The Navy then conducted a
competition in 1974 to develop the Lamps MK III concept which would integrate
both the aircraft and shipboard systems. The Navy selected IBM Federal Systems
to be the Prime systems integrator for the Lamps MK III concept.

Since the SH-2 was not large enough to carry the Navy's required equipment a new
airframe was required. In the mid-1970s, the Army evaluated the Sikorsky YUH-60
and Boeing Vertol YUH-61 for its Utility Tactical Transport Aircraft System
(UTTAS) competition. Navy based its requirements on the Army's UTTAS
specification to decrease costs from commonality to be the new airframe to carry
the Lamps MK III avionics. Sikorsky and Boeing-Vertol submitted proposals for
Navy versions of their Army UTTAS helicopters in April 1977 for review. The Navy
also looked at helicopters being produced by Bell, Kaman, Westland and MBB, but
these were too small for the mission. In early 1978 the Navy selected Sikorsky's
S-70B design, which was designated "SH-60B Seahawk".


Role
Utility maritime helicopter

National origin
United States

Manufacturer
Sikorsky Aircraft

First flight
12 December 1979

Introduction
1984

Status
In service

Primary users
United States Navy
Royal Australian Navy
Turkish Naval Forces
Spanish Navy

Produced
1979–present

Unit cost

US$42.9 million (MH-60R in FY2012)
US$28.1M (MH-60S in FY2012)


Developed from
Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk

Variants
Sikorsky HH-60 Jayhawk
Mitsubishi SH-60

The Navy received the first production SH-60B in February 1983 and assigned it
to squadron HSL-41. The helicopter entered service in 1984, and began its first
deployment in 1985.

The SH-60F entered operational service on 22 June 1989 with Helicopter
Antisubmarine Squadron 10 (HS-10) at NAS North Island. SH-60F squadrons planned
to shift from the SH-60F to the MH-60S from 2005 to 2011 and were to be
redesignated Helicopter Sea Combat (HSC).

HSL squadrons in the US have been incrementally transitioning to the MH-60R and
have nearly completed the transition. The first MH-60Rs in Japan arrived in
October 2012. The recipient was HSM-51, the Navy's forward–deployed LAMPS
squadron, home based in Atsugi, Japan. The Warlords transitioned from the SH-60B
throughout 2013, and shifted each detachment to the new aircraft as they
returned from deployments. HSM-51 will have all MH-60R aircraft at the end of
2013. The Warlords are joined by the Saberhawks of HSM-77.

On 23 July 2013, Sikorsky delivered the 400th MH-60, an MH-60R, to the U.S.
Navy. This included 166 MH-60R versions and 234 MH-60S versions. The MH-60S is
in production until 2015 and will total a fleet of 275 aircraft, and the MH-60R
is in production until 2017 and will total a fleet of 291 aircraft. The two
models have flown 660,000 flight hours. Seahawk helicopters are to remain in
Navy service into the 2030s.

The SH-60B Seahawk completed its last active-duty deployment for the U.S. Navy
in late April 2015 after a seven-month deployment aboard USS Gary. After 32
years and over 3.6 million hours of service, the SH-60B was formally retired
from U.S. Navy service during a ceremony on 11 May 2015 at Naval Air Station
North Island. In late November 2015 USS Theodore Roosevelt returned from its
deployment, ending the last active-duty operational deployment of both the
SH-60F and HH-60H. The models are to be transferred to other squadrons or placed
in storage.

Specifications (SH-60B)

General characteristics
Crew: 3–4
Capacity: 5 passengers in cabin, slung load of 6,000 lb (2,700 kg) or internal
load of 4,100 lb (1,900 kg) for B, F, and H models / 6,684 lb (3,032 kg) payload
Length: 64 ft 8 in (19.71 m)
Height: 17 ft 2 in (5.23 m)
Empty weight: 15,200 lb (6,895 kg)
Gross weight: 17,758 lb (8,055 kg) for ASW mission
Max takeoff weight: 23,000 lb (10,433 kg)
Powerplant: 2 × General Electric T700-GE-401C turboshaft engines, 1,890 shp
(1,410 kW) each for take-off
Main rotor diameter: 53 ft 8 in (16.36 m)
Main rotor area: 2,262.3 sq ft (210.17 m2)

Blade section: root: SC1095/SC1095R8 ; tip: Sikorsky SC1095

Performance
Maximum speed: 146 kn (168 mph, 270 km/h)
Never exceed speed: 180 kn (210 mph, 330 km/h)
Range: 450 nmi (520 mi, 830 km)
Service ceiling: 12,000 ft (3,700 m)
Rate of climb: 1,650 ft/min (8.4 m/s)

Armament

Up to two Mark 46 torpedoes or Mk 50 or Mk-54s or two 120 U.S. gal (454 L) fuel
tanks for SH-60B and HH-60R and MH-60R
AGM-114 Hellfire missile, 4 Hellfire missiles for SH-60B and HH-60H and MH-60R,
8 Hellfire missiles for MH-60S Block III.
AGM-119 Penguin missile (being phased out),
APKWS Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System,
M60 machine gun or, M240 machine gun or GAU-16/A machine gun or GAU-17/A Minigun
Rapid Airborne Mine Clearance System (RAMICS) using Mk 44 Mod 0 30 mm Cannon

Main article: U.S. Helicopter Armament Subsystems




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