Ministry of Defence has signed a five-year sustainment support agreement with the United States, worth Rs 7,995 crore, for the Navy’s fleet of MH-60R multi-role helicopters. These “Seahawk” choppers, known for their submarine-hunting prowess, will now get reliable spares, training, and repairs to stay mission-ready without a hitch.
The deal, sealed through Letters of Offer and Acceptance under the US Foreign Military Sales programme, covers “Follow-on Support” and “Follow-on Supply Support.” It includes everything from provisioning spares and support equipment to setting up intermediate-level repairs and periodic maintenance facilities right here in India. Signed in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, this pact ensures the helicopters already a game-changer for anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare operate smoothly from ships or shore bases, even in tough weather.
The MH-60R, acquired from the US in a $2.6 billion deal back in 2020, brings world-class tech to the Indian Navy, with advanced radars, sonars, and weapons to tackle underwater threats in the Indian Ocean.
But keeping 24 of these high-tech birds flying isn’t cheap or easy especially with nine already delivered and more on the way. This support package ramps up their uptime, cuts downtime, and builds local skills for long-term self-reliance, all while deepening India-US defence ties amid shared concerns in the Indo-Pacific.
This enhances operational availability and maintainability of our all-weather capable MH-60R fleet,” the ministry noted, adding that it’ll enable ops from dispersed spots for better coverage.
