On December 10, the Royal Australian Navy became the first international operator of the Sikorsky Seahawk MH-60R “Romeo” anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare helicopter.
Two Romeos, the first of 24 on order, were scheduled to be handed over at the Lockheed Martin modification facility at Owego, an hour’s flight north of Washington DC as ADM went to press. If the Australian crews follow a US Navy tradition at Owego, they will sign the new 25 Squadron crest on the wall of the facility before they depart in early December 2013.
Although they’re wearing the kangaroo roundel, the first two MH-60Rs won’t lose their American accents immediately – both will spend their first year in Australian colours at US Naval Air Station Jacksonville in Florida, where Australian Romeo aircrew and maintenance teams have been gaining experience with US Navy operators for a more than a year.
Some aircrew have already accumulated more than two and a half years and 500 flying hours on type, with pilots praising the aircraft’s surfeit of power and nimble handling. The personnel training there are considered the advance guard for a newly reconstituted 725 Squadron RAN, which will stand up at Nowra when the MH-60Rs land in Australia (courtesy of RAAF C-17s) in 2015.
The first two tranches of personnel have completed training, with follow on groups scheduled to cycle through the US over the next 12 months. In Australia, site works began on the new Romeo facility at Nowra in November, and the usual airworthiness certification necessary to operate any aircraft in Australian airspace is underway.
The MH-60R is one of the most potent anti-submarine and anti-surface helicopters in the world. Key among the new sensors are an advanced imaging radar, a comprehensive electronic warfare suite, a multi-spectral electro-optic sensor (with a laser designator) and a dipping sonar. The dipping sonar is the Romeo’s key underwater search and classification sensor, a capability the Australian Navy has not employed since the 1980s with the Sea King.
For the afficionados, the MH-60R features a Lockheed Martin AN/ALQ-210 electronic support measures system (ESM), the ATK AN/AAR-47 missile warner, laser warning system, BAE Systems AN/ALQ-144 infrared jammer and AN/ALE-39 chaff and flare decoy dispenser.
For its anti-submarine role, the Romeo relies on a Telephonics AN/APS-147 multimode radar, which has inverse synthetic aperture (ISAR) imaging and periscope and small target detection capabilities, plus a sonobuoy launcher and a Raytheon AN/AQS-22 advanced airborne low-frequency (ALFS) dipping sonar.
The MH-60R is fitted with the Raytheon AN/AAS-44 detecting / tracking system, which includes forward-looking infrared (FLIR) and laser rangefinder. The ball turret system, unusually, sits on top of its nose mounted “diving board” instead of hanging below, in order to avoid blanking the radar and nose mounted ESM. Fitting the suite and making it all talk to each other adds another eight kilometres of cabling to each airframe.
Off the shelf
The Romeo purchase was designed from the start to be low risk, from the decision to take an off-the-shelf product (the paint is the only real difference incorporated before delivery), to selection of an aircraft type and manufacturer with which the ADF already has deep legacy experience. This commonality is driving a level of confidence.
Ordered in 2011, the Navy will receive its first two aircraft in December 2013 and declare an in-service date in January 2014. The first of our Romeos will also provide another milestone for Lockheed Martin – it is fitted with the 400th example of the “common cockpit” glass cockpit now fitted to all MH-60R and MH-60S helicopters, which Australian pilots have already described as a welcome update from the older Seahawks.
According to a Defence spokesperson, once in service the Australian examples will receive low-level modifications to improve interoperability with ADF ships and aircraft, and their ability to operate in Australian civil airspace. These will include integration of low power beacons for use with the Hobart class Air Warfare Destroyer deck landing and securing system, addition of a small number of Link 16 message sets, modification of the crash data recorder to enable voice recording and integration of civil airspace systems such as Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast system (ADSB) and navigation and approach systems.
With 150 already in service with the US Navy, and a 25-year Seahawk airframe pedigree, the Romeo has reached predictable, manageable serviceability levels quickly. And the commonality of RAN Romeos with the US guarantees a pipeline of capability and efficiency improvements throughout its development lifecycle in areas from software updates to training, tactics and maintenance.
“The Romeos are designed as organic maritime combat helicopters, that is, sensor and weapon equipped helicopters that form part of the Fleet’s ‘organic’ or inherent capabilities,” a Defence spokesperson said. “They are effectively the eyes and ears of the Fleet. Embarked in Navy’s major combatant ships, the maritime combat helicopter extends the parent ship’s sensor and weapon horizon. They have the ability to fly out many miles ahead of the parent ship to detect, classify and, if necessary, deter or engage adversaries both on the water and under the water.”
Engaging will mean use of either the ubiquitous Mark 46 torpedo or AGM114 Hellfire missiles that are cleared for use.
For the past 25 years, the Seahawk Classic has been Navy’s primary maritime combat helicopter. While it has served Navy well, its mission systems are now obsolete and are approaching the end of their sustainable life. The Seahawk Romeo is an evolutionary step forward from the Seahawk ‘Classic’ it replaces, incorporating latest generation sensors in an integrated mission system built on open architecture principles.
The first Australian Seahawk Romeo flight is expected to embark on schedule in mid 2015.
