MH-60R for Taiwan

The Chung-Hua Min Guo Hai Jun (RoCN, Republic of China Navy) will order twelve Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk anti-submarine helicopters. In September 2021, the Taiwan government made last-minute changes in its defence budget for the fiscal year 2022 to earmark funds to acquire the helicopters.

The MH-60R Seahawk is a naval version of the UH-60 Black Hawk designed and manufactured by the Sikorsky company which is now part of Lockheed Martin. It can be equipped with a range of weapons on the four weapons stations, including Lockheed Martin AGM-114 Hellfire anti-surface missiles. For anti-submarine warfare, the MH-60R can carry up to three ATK mk50 or mk46 active/passive lightweight torpedoes. The side of the helicopter can be fitted with a pintle-mounted weapon station armed with a 7.62mm machine gun.

The MH-60R is powered by two General Electric T700-GE-401C turboshaft engines rated at 1,425kW. It can fly at a maximum speed of 267 km/h with a maximum cruising range of 834 km.

The RoCN currently operates a number of Sikorsky S-70C(M)-1 and S-70C(M)-2 helicopters in the anti-submarine role. These are operated by the 701st Air Group at Zuoying with a detachment at Hualien. According to the Scramble Magazine database the navy still has seventeen operational S-70C(M)s.

Photo (just illustrative) via seaforces.org