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An F/A-18F Super Hornet lands on the flight deck of the Navy’s forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) during Keen Sword 19 on Oct. 31, 2018. US Navy Photo
Two aviators are in good condition following the crash of their F/A-18F Super Hornet in the Philippine Sea, U.S. 7th Fleet announced on Monday. Read More
An MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter, assigned to the “Saberhawks” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 77, prepares to land on the flight deck of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold (DDG-65) on Sept. 19 2018. US Navy Photo
The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan has resumed flight operations following a Friday crash of an MH-60R Seahawk helicopter on the carrier’s flight deck, according to a statement from U.S. 7th Fleet. Read More
An MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to the “Blue Hawks” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 78 participates in a change of command ceremony near the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) on Jan. 15, 2018. US Navy Photo
The House Armed Services Committee added to its annual defense bill provisions allowing the military to buy more F-35 Lighting II Joint Strike Fighters if the program could achieve sufficient cost-savings, addressing the health and future of the MH-60R anti-submarine warfare helicopter, encouraging the Navy to continue buying aircraft carriers every three years, and more. Read More
An MQ-8B Fire Scout unmanned aerial vehicle, top, conducts laser designation of an AGM-114 Hellfire missile for an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter attached to the amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA-6) off the coast of San Clemente Island. US Navy Photo
SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The Navy’s rotary wing community is at a crossroads where the promise of unmanned systems intersects with the limits of piloted aircraft.
USS Coronado (LCS-4), an Independence-variant littoral combat ship, launches the first over-the-horizon missile engagement using a Harpoon Block 1C missile. US Navy Photo
The Navy is looked to expand the web of connections currently linking its ships, planes and weapons to include submarines, smaller ships and unmanned systems to create a warfighting network that would be challenging for an adversary to bring down, the Navy’s surface warfare director (OPNAV N96) said. Read More
An undated picture of a Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy patrol craft.
An Iranian patrol boat trained a crew-served weapon on a Navy MH-60R Seahawk helicopter as a U.S. carrier strike group transited the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, two defense officials confirmed to USNI News. Read More
A MH-60S Knighthawk helicopter, assigned to the Island Knights of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 25 on Guam in 2015. US Navy Photo
SAN DIEGO – The Pentagon’s Joint Multirole (JMR) investigation into a new generation of helicopters is highlighting the differences between what the Army and Navy need in terms of vertical lift aircraft, Navy and industry said last week. Read More
Australian Lockheed Martin MH-60R helicopters. Commonwealth of Australia – Department of Defence
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) has hailed the integration of the Lockheed-Martin/Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk into the service’s Fleet Air Arm as the multirole naval helicopter achieves initial operating capability there. Read More
Sailors aboard the littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) prepare to launch an MQ-8B Fire Scout unmanned aircraft system from Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 35 on Aug. 16, 2015. US Navy photo.
The Navy’s summer series of bilateral exercises in the Pacific gave the Littoral Combat Ship USS Fort Worth (LCS-3) a chance to demonstrate emerging capabilities of the new platform, using its rigid-hull inflatable boats (RHIBs) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for the first time in an operational context. Read More
Lockheed Martin will buy Sikorsky later this year, giving the company full control over the MH-60R and S lines. Lockheed Martin photo.
This post has been updated to include comments from Lockheed Martin regarding how the acquisition of Sikorsky will affect the Navy’s MH-60 program.
Lockheed Martin announced it will acquire Sikorsky Aircraft from United Technologies Corp for $9 billion, inheriting both military and commercial rotary-wing aircraft lines, including the Navy’s MH-60 Seahawk. Read More
