Profile
- Type
- Multi-mission maritime helicopter
- Conflict side
- United States
- Origin
- United States
- Service note
- 2000s-present
Aircraft & UAVs
MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter
The MH-60S Sea Hawk is a U.S. Navy multi-mission helicopter adapted for shipboard operations, vertical replenishment, rescue, and combat support. In the United States-Iran Conflict, MH-60S aircraft were documented aboard U.S. carriers and other ships during Operation Epic Fury, where they handled flight-deck movements, cargo transport, and at-sea support.
- Conflict side
- United States
- Built by
- Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation
- Built in
- United States
Service History
- In service
- U.S. Navy service since 2002; optimized for shipboard combat support and logistics missions.
- Used by
- United States Navy
- Wars
- United States-Iran Conflict
Production History
- Designer
- Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation
- Designed
- 1990s
- Built by
- Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation
- Built in
- United States
- Produced
- 2002-present
- Variants
- MH-60S Seahawk, MH-60S Knighthawk
Specifications
- Crew
- Four
- Length
- 64 ft 10 in
- Height
- 17 ft
- Maximum speed
- 180 knots
- Range
- 245 nautical miles
- Ceiling
- 13,000 ft
- Propulsion
- 2 x GE T700-GE-401(C) turboshaft engines
Conflict Usage
- United States-Iran Conflict
- Side: United StatesRole: Carrier flight operations and logistics support
United States-Iran Conflict: used by U.S. Navy Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 14 during Operation Epic Fury aboard USS Abraham Lincoln for flight-deck operations and cargo transport.
MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter Images
Related Weapon Systems
AH-64 Apache attack helicopterTwin-engine attack helicopterThe AH-64 Apache is a U.S. twin-engine attack helicopter built for armed reconnaissance, close combat, and precision attack missions with a 30 mm chain gun, rockets, and Hellfire missiles. In the United States-Iran Conflict, official Operation Epic Fury material identified Apaches among U.S. assets, and DVIDS imagery documented AH-64E aircraft from the 82nd Airborne Division operating with rockets and Hellfire missiles in the CENTCOM area.
E-2D Advanced HawkeyeCarrier-based airborne early warning and control aircraftThe E-2D Advanced Hawkeye is Northrop Grumman's carrier-based airborne early warning and command aircraft, built around a 360-degree radar and five-person crew. U.S. Navy E-2Ds were documented supporting Operation Epic Fury in the United States-Iran Conflict in 2026.
F-35B Lightning IISTOVL stealth multirole fighterThe F-35B Lightning II is the U.S. Marine Corps' short takeoff and vertical landing variant of the Joint Strike Fighter, built for expeditionary basing from ships and austere sites. In the United States-Iran Conflict, Marine F-35Bs were documented operating from USS Tripoli during Operation Epic Fury, underscoring the variant's maritime support role.
Iranian mine-laying vesselMine-laying vesselIranian mine-laying vessels are small auxiliaries or converted hulls configured to seed naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz and nearby waters. During the United States-Iran Conflict, U.S. officials said CENTCOM was hunting and striking Iranian mine-laying vessels and mine-storage facilities as part of Operation Epic Fury, making mine warfare a visible part of the maritime campaign.
Iranian small attack boatsSmall attack boat / fast attack craftIranian small attack boats are the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy's fast-boat and swarm force for harassment, mine-laying, and littoral attack in the Strait of Hormuz. In the United States-Iran Conflict, U.S. and Iranian reporting documented these boats as part of attacks on U.S. Navy destroyers transiting the strait.
Iranian submarinesSubmarine forceIranian submarines are the Islamic Republic's mixed diesel-electric submarine force, combining Russian-built Kilo boats with domestically built Fateh, Ghadir, and other mini-submarine classes. The fleet is centered on Bandar Abbas and the Strait of Hormuz, where it supports sea-denial, mine-laying, and anti-ship strike missions; in the United States-Iran Conflict, CENTCOM said Operation Epic Fury damaged or destroyed Iranian Navy ships and submarines.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: 2026-06-20USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) Supports Operation Epic FuryPublisher: U.S. Central Command | Note: 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: 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: 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 FuryPublisher: U.S. Central Command | Note: 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: 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