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India will also receive one MH-60B/R Excess Defense Article (EDA)
USN legacy aircraft.
Weapons included as part of the Indian MH-60R are AGM-114
Hellfire missiles, MK 54 torpedoes, M-240D and GAU-21 Crew
Served guns. Romeo’s can carry up to eight AGM-114N Hellfire [ AIR SYSTEMS ]
missile on two pylons. New weapons for India will be BAE Systems
Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) and Kongsberg’s
subsonic Naval Strike Missile (NSM).
“BAE SYSTEMS’ APKWS PROGRAMME SUPPLIES ing capability and uses an advanced seeker
for precise targeting in challenging conditions.
PRECISION GUIDED ROCKETS TO ALL U.S. SERVICES The NSM meets and exceeds the U.S. Navy’s
AND FOREIGN MILITARY SALES CUSTOMERS over-the-horizon requirements for survivabil-
THROUGH THE U.S. NAVY. BAE SYSTEMS IS SEEING ity against high-end threats, demonstrated
STRONG INTERNATIONAL DEMAND FOR APWKS lethality, easy upgrades and long-range strike
capability.
ROCKETS, WITH MORE THAN TWO DOZEN LETTERS
OF REQUEST,” BAE Systems Spokesperson. Delivering New Capability
The Romeos are a vital addition to the Navy
at a time when the Indian Ocean Region is
witnessing increasing security threat due to
proliferation of submarines. The helicopters
are envisaged to operate from frontline ships
and aircraft carriers providing them the critical
attributes of flexibility of operation, enhanced
surveillance and attacking capability. Indian
MH-60Rs will be used for offensive and defen-
sive roles including Anti-Submarine Warfare,
Anti-Ship Strike, Low Intensity Maritime
Operations, Search and Rescue, over the hori-
zon Network Centric Operations and Electronic
Warfare.
MH-60R helicopters carry a three man crew
comprising of a pilot, tactical coordinator and
a sensor operator. The MH-60R can also carry
25 active, passive or bathymetric buoys and
can locate submarines using its Airborne Low
Frequency Sonar (ALFS), while at the same
time performing a radar sweep of the surface
environment using the multimode radar and
Electronic Surveillance Measures (ESM). The
Romeo’s onboard systems are able to fuse the
data received from its radar, acoustics and ESM
The APKWS guidance kit transforms an unguided 2.75-inch (70 systems thanks to the sophisticated onboard
mm) rocket into a precision-guided rocket providing rotary-wing data fusion system, which takes data from the
military aircraft with a low-cost surgical strike capability that can subsystems and fuses them into one piece of
engage targets at ranges between 1.5 to 5 km. Up to 38 rockets information for the crew. The Romeo’s also
can be carried in two launchers on an MH-60R and the APKWS feature an Integrated Self Defence system,
rockets are ideal for engagement of asymmetric surface targets comprising of a Radar Warning Receiver (RWR),
and Fast Inshore Attack Craft. missile, laser, hostile fire warning; Infrared
Countermeasure (IRCM) and Counter Measure
Kongsberg’s NSM is a long-range, fifth-generation precision strike Dispensing System (CMDS).
missile that has been selected as the U.S. Navy’s over-the-horizon
weapon system for littoral combat ships and future frigates. The Timely Addition
NSM weighs 897 lbs, carries a 500-pound class warhead with The MH-60R Seahawk will be the most
a programmable fuze and has a range in excess of 100nm. The advanced maritime helicopter operated by the
stealthy missile flies at sea-skimming altitude, has terrain-follow- Indian Navy and are a long overdue replace-
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