Aircraft & UAVs

MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter

Also known as
  • MH-60S Seahawk
  • MH-60S Sea Hawk
  • MH-60S Knighthawk
  • Sierra
  • H-60 Sierra

The MH-60S Sea Hawk is a U.S. Navy multi-mission helicopter derived from the Black Hawk/Seahawk family for shipboard logistics, search and rescue, special warfare support, mine-countermeasures, and armed maritime missions. NAVAIR describes the aircraft as sharing the MH-60R common cockpit while replacing legacy H-46D, H-3, and HH-1N roles; during Operation Epic Fury in the 2020 United States-Iran Conflict, MH-60S aircraft were documented aboard USS Abraham Lincoln handling flight-deck movements, cargo transport, and at-sea support.

MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter, Multi-mission maritime helicopter, Aircraft & UAVs
Image source: USS Mason Sailors Conduct Routine Operations in Support of Operation Prosperity Guardian

Role in Conflicts

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
United States
Type
Multi-mission maritime helicopter
Service note
2000s-present
Designer
Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation
Designed
1990s
Produced
2002-present

Specifications

Crew
Four
Length
64 ft 10 in
Height
17 ft
Empty weight
14,430 lb
Maximum gross weight
23,500 lb
Maximum speed
180 knots
Range
245 nautical miles
Ceiling
13,000 ft
Propulsion
2 x GE T700-GE-401C or -401D turboshaft engines
Primary functions
Anti-surface warfare, combat support, and humanitarian missions
Mission Packages And Roles

The MH-60S began as the Navy's H-46D replacement but grew into a modular shipboard aircraft for logistics, rescue, surface-warfare, special-warfare support, and organic mine-countermeasures missions.

Shipboard support

Navy sources list vertical replenishment, logistics, search and rescue, medical evacuation, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, personnel recovery, and special warfare support among MH-60S missions.

Armed Helo

NAVAIR's 2007 developmental-test report documents AGM-114 Hellfire shots from the MH-60S, plus GAU-21 .50-caliber and M240 7.62 mm gun testing and integration of targeting, warning, countermeasure, and digital-map systems.

Mine countermeasures

Navy and NAVAIR pages list organic airborne mine countermeasures as an MH-60S mission, and NAVSEA's LCS MCM package IOC release identifies the MH-60S as one of the package's deployed platforms.

Common cockpit

The Navy fact file describes the MH-60S as UH-60L-based with maritime modifications and a glass common cockpit shared with the MH-60R.

Sources: MH-60S Seahawk; MH-60S Seahawk NAVAIR product page; MH-60S 'Armed Helo' completes developmental test; Navy Declares Initial Operational Capability of Mine Countermeasures Mission Package.

Variants

The Navy record centers on the MH-60S multi-mission aircraft. CH-60S was the early cargo-support designation; Navy and NAVAIR pages now use MH-60S Seahawk, while Knighthawk appears in early Sikorsky/press usage and remains a common informal name.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
CH-60S Sea HawkEarly cargo-support designation

DoD's model-designation list records CH-60S as a Sikorsky Sea Hawk for cargo movement, while Naval Aviation News identifies the first production CH-60S flight in January 2000.

Sources: DoD 4120.15-L Model Designation of Military Aerospace Vehicles, The Year in Review 2000 | Naval Aviation News

MH-60S SeahawkCurrent Navy multi-mission designation

Navy and NAVAIR pages identify the MH-60S Seahawk as a maritime multi-mission helicopter with initial operational capability in August 2002 and full operational capability in 2016.

Sources: MH-60S Seahawk, MH-60S Seahawk NAVAIR product page

MH-60S KnighthawkCommon informal name

Knighthawk is useful as a search alias because early Sikorsky coverage used the name for the CH-60S/MH-60S, while current Navy and NAVAIR pages use Seahawk.

Sources: First CH-60S Completes Initial Flight

Carried Munitions

NAVAIR and Navy sources document the MH-60S Sea Hawk firing AGM-114 Hellfire missiles during armed-helicopter testing.

Carried itemItem typeCarriage evidence
AGM-114 Hellfire missile family, Air-to-surface missile family, MunitionsAGM-114 Hellfire missile familyAir-to-ground missile family

NAVAIR's armed-helicopter developmental test explicitly documents Hellfire missile firing from the Seahawk.

Sources: MH-60S 'Armed Helo' completes developmental test

Carrier Ship

The Freedom-class LCS USS Sioux City deployed with embarked MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopters.

CarrierCarrier typeCarriage evidence
Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ship, Freedom-variant littoral combat ship, Naval SystemsFreedom-class Littoral Combat ShipFreedom-variant littoral combat ship

A Navy article on USS Sioux City's first Sixth Fleet deployment says the ship sailed with an embarked detachment of two MH-60S Seahawk helicopters.

Sources: LCS begins first deployment in Sixth Fleet

Timeline

MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter Key Events

  1. First production CH-60S flight

    The first production CH-60S made its initial flight at Sikorsky's Stratford, Connecticut facility before Navy and Sikorsky officials.

  2. Initial operational capability

    The MH-60S reached initial operational capability for combat logistics support in August 2002, with early detachments supporting fleet logistics from the Arabian Sea.

  3. Armed Helo developmental firing milestone

    An HX-21 test crew completed the Armed Helo developmental test with Hellfire firings from both sides of an MH-60S, expanding the aircraft's armed mission-kit envelope.

  4. Full operational capability

    The NAVAIR MH-60S product page lists full operational capability in 2016.

  5. LCS mine-countermeasures package IOC

    NAVSEA announced initial operational capability for the LCS mine-countermeasures mission package, a detect-to-engage suite that uses systems deployed from platforms including the MH-60S.

Media

MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter Videos

MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter Images

MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter, Multi-mission maritime helicopter, Aircraft & UAVs - view 1
Source: USS Mason Sailors Conduct Routine Operations in Support of Operation Prosperity Guardian
MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter, Multi-mission maritime helicopter, Aircraft & UAVs - view 2
Source: USS Mason Sailors Conduct Routine Operations in Support of Operation Prosperity Guardian
MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter, Multi-mission maritime helicopter, Aircraft & UAVs - view 3
Source: USS Mason Sailors Conduct Routine Operations in Support of Operation Prosperity Guardian
Related Weapon Systems
SH-60 Seahawk helicopter, Shipboard maritime helicopter family, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsSH-60 Seahawk helicopterShipboard maritime helicopter familyThe SH-60 Seahawk is the U.S. Navy's shipboard H-60 maritime helicopter family, spanning legacy SH-60B/F and HH-60H aircraft and the MH-60R/S successors now used from cruisers, destroyers, littoral combat ships, carriers, and other aviation-capable vessels. Navy and NAVAIR sources describe a family built around anti-submarine warfare, surface warfare, search and rescue, mine countermeasures, cargo lift, special operations support, and maritime force protection.
Black Hawk helicopter, Medium-lift military utility helicopter family, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsBlack Hawk helicopterMedium-lift military utility helicopter familyThe Black Hawk is Sikorsky's twin-engine medium-lift military utility helicopter family, developed from the U.S. Army's 1972 UTTAS requirement and fielded from 1978-79. The cataloged family covers utility, special-operations, armed, and HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue variants, with directly documented use from the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu to NATO combat search and rescue over Kosovo, U.S.-led operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, and Ukrainian Defence Intelligence Black Hawk missions during the Russia-Ukraine war.
SH-60B Seahawk helicopter, LAMPS Mk III naval helicopter, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsSH-60B Seahawk helicopterLAMPS Mk III naval helicopterThe SH-60B Seahawk is the U.S. Navy's LAMPS Mk III shipboard helicopter, built around a Sikorsky airframe and mission systems for frigate, destroyer, and cruiser detachments. Navy, GAO, and USNI sources frame the aircraft as the helicopter element of an anti-submarine and anti-surface ship system, with Desert Storm surveillance use, later Operation Iraqi Freedom deployments, and torpedoes, Penguin missiles, AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, and crew-served guns documented in the SH-60B record.
MH-60L Direct Action Penetrator, Special operations gunship helicopter, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsMH-60L Direct Action PenetratorSpecial operations gunship helicopterThe MH-60L Direct Action Penetrator is a 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment gunship conversion of the UH-60L/MH-60 Black Hawk, trading troop-carrying capacity for modular cannons, rockets, guided missiles, sensors, and night-raid support. Venezuela conflict reporting documents DAP Black Hawks in U.S. special operations use, while also noting that current operational DAPs are MH-60M airframes derived from the same mission configuration.
Sikorsky S-70UAS U-Hawk, Autonomous cargo utility helicopter UAS, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsSikorsky S-70UAS U-HawkAutonomous cargo utility helicopter UASThe Sikorsky S-70UAS U-Hawk is a 2025 autonomous UH-60L Black Hawk conversion that removes the cockpit, adds clamshell doors and a rear ramp, and turns the helicopter into a cargo-first UAS. Sikorsky said it completed the redesign in 10 months and showed payload options ranging from palletized cargo to a HIMARS rocket pod and Naval Strike Missile loads; no direct conflict use or public first-flight confirmation was found in sources checked through July 4, 2026.

Sources

MH-60S SeahawkPublisher: United States Navy | Note: Supports MH-60S Seahawk specifications, mission set, contractor background, and service-entry context for the shipboard helicopter. | Accessed: 2026-06-20MH-60S Seahawk NAVAIR product pagePublisher: NAVAIR | Note: Supports the current MH-60S mission list, common-cockpit description, specifications, inventory, IOC, and FOC context. | Accessed: 2026-07-02DoD 4120.15-L Model Designation of Military Aerospace VehiclesPublisher: U.S. Department of Defense | Note: Supports official model-designation context for CH-60S Sea Hawk cargo movement and MH-60S Navy listing. | Accessed: 2026-07-02The Year in Review 2000 | Naval Aviation NewsPublisher: Naval History and Heritage Command | Note: Supports the January 27, 2000 first production CH-60S initial flight and replacement context for CH-46 Sea Knight, MH-53 Sea Dragon, and HH-60 roles. | Accessed: 2026-07-02First CH-60S Completes Initial FlightPublisher: Helis.com | Note: Rehosts Sikorsky's January 27, 2000 release; supports first-flight, Knighthawk naming in early coverage, VERTREP/VOD/SAR/logistics role expectations, and future AMCM/CSAR/special-warfare mission expansion. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Navy Declares Initial Operational Capability of Mine Countermeasures Mission PackagePublisher: NAVSEA | Note: Supports LCS mine-countermeasures mission package initial operational capability on May 1, 2023 and identifies the MH-60S as one of the platforms used to deploy sensors and weapons in the package. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 21 HistoryPublisher: Naval Air Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet | Note: Supports 2014 War Against the Islamic State direct conflict use under Operation Inherent Resolve: 2001 War in Afghanistan, 2003 Iraq War, 2014 Operation Inherent Resolve, and South China Sea Disputes: supports HSC-21 MH-60S detachments in Operation Freedom Sentinel, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Inherent Resolve support, and South China Sea operations; also supports Knighthawk designation and HSC-21 fleet context. | Accessed: 2026-07-02USS Mason Sailors Conduct Routine Operations in Support of Operation Prosperity GuardianPublisher: Defense Visual Information Distribution Service | Note: 2023 Red Sea Crisis: supports U.S. Navy MH-60S Sea Hawk presence aboard USS Mason while the ship operated in support of Operation Prosperity Guardian in the Red Sea. | Accessed: 2026-07-02USS Mason Conducts VERTREP with Eisenhower for Operation Prosperity GuardianPublisher: Defense Visual Information Distribution Service | Note: 2023 Red Sea Crisis: supports an HSC-7 MH-60S Sea Hawk delivering pallets to USS Mason during a vertical replenishment with USS Dwight D. Eisenhower while the ships operated in support of Operation Prosperity Guardian in the Red Sea. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Philippines, US partner in Maritime Cooperative Activity in South China SeaPublisher: U.S. Indo-Pacific Command | Note: South China Sea Disputes: supports a U.S. MH-60S Sea Hawk from HSC-23 embarked with USS Gabrielle Giffords during a U.S.-Philippine Maritime Cooperative Activity in the South China Sea. | Accessed: 2026-07-02First deployed MH-60S helos return from fleet with high praisePublisher: NAVAIR | Note: Supports the first operational MH-60S deployment, early Arabian Sea logistics role, Sierra designation, marinized Black Hawk/Seahawk airframe context, and planned AMCM and armed mission upgrades. | Accessed: 2026-07-02HSC-23 Successfully Executes First MQ-8B Remote Designation Hellfire ShotPublisher: United States Navy | Note: Supports MH-60S armed-helicopter testing and Hellfire missile employment context. | Accessed: 2026-06-28MH-60S 'Armed Helo' completes developmental testPublisher: NAVAIR | Note: Supports MH-60S Armed Helo developmental testing and Hellfire missile firing from the Seahawk. | Accessed: 2026-06-28PMA-299 MH-60 Common Cockpit contractPublisher: NAVAIR | Note: Supports the MH-60R/S common-cockpit context, MH-60S logistics IOC in August 2002, and follow-on OAMCM and CSAR/Armed Helicopter block upgrades. | Accessed: 2026-07-02LCS begins first deployment in Sixth FleetPublisher: U.S. Navy | Note: Supports USS Sioux City's deployment with an embarked detachment of two MH-60S Seahawk helicopters. | Accessed: 2026-06-28USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) Supports Operation Epic FuryPublisher: U.S. Central Command | Note: 2020 United States-Iran Conflict: used by U.S. Navy MH-60S Sea Hawks during Operation Epic Fury aboard USS Abraham Lincoln for flight-deck operations; supports image provenance. | Accessed: 2026-06-20USS Abraham Lincoln supports Operation Epic FuryPublisher: U.S. Central Command | Note: 2020 United States-Iran Conflict: used by U.S. Navy MH-60S Sea Hawks during Operation Epic Fury aboard USS Abraham Lincoln for takeoff and flight-deck support; supports image provenance. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Abraham Lincoln Conducts Fueling-at-SeaPublisher: Defense Visual Information Distribution Service | Note: 2020 United States-Iran Conflict: used by U.S. Navy MH-60S Sea Hawks during Operation Epic Fury aboard USS Abraham Lincoln for cargo transport during fueling-at-sea; supports image provenance. | Accessed: 2026-06-20USS Abraham Lincoln supports Operation Epic Fury flight prepPublisher: U.S. Central Command | Note: 2020 United States-Iran Conflict: used by U.S. Navy MH-60S Sea Hawks during Operation Epic Fury aboard USS Abraham Lincoln for flight-operations preparation; supports image provenance. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Eyes in the SkyPublisher: U.S. Department of War | Note: 2020 United States-Iran Conflict: used by a sailor conducting flight operations in an MH-60S Sea Hawk during Operation Epic Fury in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility; supports image provenance. | Accessed: 2026-06-20