Decision Made to Acquire Lockheed Martin Maritime Operation Helicopters

Over 20 MH-60R “Seahawk” Helicopters to Be Acquired by 2032

The South Korean military has decided to acquire more than 20 additional MH-60R "Seahawk" state-of-the-art maritime operation helicopters by 2032. These helicopters are capable of detecting and engaging submarines and surface vessels.

According to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), the 178th Defense Project Promotion Committee was held on September 15, where two agendas were approved: the selection plan for Maritime Operation Helicopter-II and the amendment to the basic strategy for the vertical take-off and landing reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) project. The Maritime Operation Helicopter-II project involves acquiring, through Foreign Military Sales (FMS), new operational capabilities to replace the aging maritime operation helicopters (Lynx) installed on Navy vessels, including destroyers and frigates.

At this committee meeting, it was ultimately decided to purchase the MH-60R "Seahawk" helicopter model from Lockheed Martin of the United States, based on the results of acquisition test evaluations and negotiations. The project period is from 2025 to 2032, with a total project budget of 3.24 trillion won. The Seahawk is equipped with detection devices and weapons, enabling it to perform various missions, including anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW), surveillance and reconnaissance, and search and rescue at sea. It has a maximum weight of 10.2 tons, a length of 16.18 meters, a width of 4.37 meters, a height of 5.18 meters, and a top speed of 180 knots (333 km/h).

Lockheed Martin's MH-60R Seahawk Helicopter Yonhap News

For anti-submarine operations, the helicopter is equipped with a variable depth sonar (dipping sonar) and sonobuoys, which can detect, identify, and track submarine signals. It can carry Hellfire anti-ship guided missiles for precision strikes on maritime targets such as North Korean hovercrafts, as well as Mk-54 lightweight torpedoes for attacking submarines. Compared to the existing Lynx helicopter, the Seahawk offers longer endurance and is evaluated as having superior weapon operation capacity, as well as enhanced capability to detect underwater and surface targets, making it highly effective for anti-submarine and anti-ship operations.

DAPA also approved the basic project strategy for the "vertical take-off and landing reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle" program at the committee meeting. This project aims to secure domestically developed aerial surveillance and reconnaissance assets capable of vertical take-off and landing in mountainous and limited operational environments. These assets will offer surveillance performance more than four times greater than existing division-level reconnaissance UAVs. While the basic project strategy was originally established in 2021, DAPA explained that a new preliminary research was conducted to reflect recent technological changes, reaffirming the feasibility of domestic development.

Three possible airframe types were identified for the aerial vehicle: a fixed-propeller rotary-wing type, a vectored thrust type that can switch its propeller orientation from vertical to horizontal, and a "lift-cruise type" featuring separate rotors for vertical take-off/landing and forward flight. The project period for the vertical take-off and landing reconnaissance UAV is scheduled from 2027 to 2036, with a total budget of approximately 2.16 trillion won.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.