![](https://bharatshakti.in/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/LT-BSI-Defence.gif")
The Indian Navy will commission its second squadron of MH-60R Seahawk submarine-hunting helicopters, INAS 335 (Ospreys), on December 17 at INS Hansa in Goa, significantly enhancing its integral aviation and maritime warfare capabilities.
The commissioning ceremony will be held in the presence of Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi and marks another step in the Navy’s ongoing modernisation drive, a Navy spokesperson said on Sunday.
According to the statement, the MH-60R’s advanced weapons, sensors, and avionics suite make it a highly versatile platform capable of addressing both conventional and asymmetric maritime threats. “The aircraft has been fully integrated with fleet operations and has proven its worth on numerous occasions,” the ministry said, adding that the new squadron will provide a major boost to the Navy’s operational readiness.
The induction of INAS 335 follows the commissioning of the Navy’s first MH-60R squadron in March 2024. Together, the two units will strengthen the Navy’s anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW), surveillance and maritime strike capabilities across key areas of operation.
The MH-60R helicopters are part of a 24-aircraft Foreign Military Sales (FMS) contract signed with the United States in February 2020. Built by Lockheed Martin to US Navy specifications, the MH-60R – nicknamed the “Romeo” – is regarded as one of the most advanced multi-role maritime helicopters in service globally.
Equipped with a multi-mode radar, electronic support measures, electro-optical and infrared sensors, datalinks, aircraft survivability systems, dipping sonar and sonobuoys, the helicopter offers comprehensive domain awareness over surface and sub-surface environments. Its fully integrated mission system allows crews to rapidly process large volumes of sensor data and generate an actionable operational picture.
Armed with torpedoes, missiles, rockets and crew-served guns, the MH-60R provides the Indian Navy with a potent, shipborne and shore-based platform for sustained maritime operations, particularly in the increasingly contested Indian Ocean Region.
Team BharatShakti
