Naval Air: March 8, 2003

Archives

The U.S. Navy is testing it's new anti-submarine helicopter. Based on the UH-60 Blackhawk, the MH-60R (or Romeo) uses smaller, and more powerful sensors to seek out quieter diesel-electric subs now in service with many navies. The MH-60R also uses a powerful onboard computer system to combine data from sonobuoys, airborne low frequency sonar (ALFS), radar and electronic surveillance measures (ESM) to provide a more complete picture of what's down there. The Data Fusion approach is expected to provide a much better chance of detecting hostile subs. The MH-60R testing will eventually involve practice searches for real nuclear and diesel-electric subs. The MH-60R will have FLIR (night vision based on heat differences) and some missiles. But in anti-sub operations, the MH-60R will do the looking and the older MH-60S will carry lightweight torpedoes to do the shooting. The MH-60R can also find surface ships with it's radar and FLIR. The MH-60R will begin entering service next year. 

X

ad

Help keep us a float!

Your support helps us keep our ship a float. We appreciate anyway you chose to help out. Visit us daily, subscribe, donate, and tell your friends.

You can support us in the following ways:

  1. Subscribe to our daily newsletter. We’ll send the news to your email box, and you don’t have to come to the site unless you want to read columns or see photos.
  2. You can contribute to the health of StrategyPage.
  3. Make sure you spread the word about us. Two ways to do that are to like us on Facebook and follow us on X.
Subscribe   Contribute   Close