Sikorsky SH-60 Sea Hawk

The Seahawk is a navalised development of the Black Hawk to fill US Navy LAMPS III requirement. Changes include a repositioned tailwheel, lateral pylons for torpedoes or fuel tanks, and external winch and an ASW sensor station in the main cabin. The SH-60B was designed for operations off USN frigates, destroyers and cruisers and is fitted with an APS-124 chin mounted search radar and a dispenser for 25 sonobouys. Armament was initially the Mk-46 Light ASW torpedo but now includes the Mk-50 torpedo and the Penguin ASM. The SH-60F operates from the US aircraft carriers and performs inner zone ASW. It features a dipping sonar, FLIR and ESM with the radar deleted. Seahawks have been export to a number of nations with Australia's S-70B-2 aircraft replacing the APS-124 radar with a Thorn Super Searcher unit. The USN also operates the HH-60H Rescue Hawk while the SH-60R is a new multi mission variant. New equipment includes a dipping sonar, APS-147 radar, colour cockpit displays, FLIR and AGM-119 Penguin compatibility as standard. This version will replace all SH-60B/F and HH-60F aircraft.

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