Profile
- Type
- Multi-role maritime helicopter
- Conflict side
- Ukraine
- Origin
- United Kingdom
- Service note
- 1969-present family; donated to Ukraine during the full-scale Russia-Ukraine War
Aircraft & UAVs
Sea King
The Sea King is the British-built Westland WS-61 version of the Sikorsky S-61, adapted for naval anti-submarine, search-and-rescue, utility, and transport missions. In the Russia-Ukraine War, Ukraine's Sea Kings come from allied donations rather than new production, giving Ukrainian naval aviation a proven twin-engine maritime helicopter for rescue, reconnaissance, coast guard support, and transport tasks.
- Conflict side
- Ukraine
- Built by
- Westland Helicopters
- Built in
- United Kingdom
Service History
- In service
- First Westland Sea King flight in 1969; Ukrainian service from donated aircraft beginning in 2022
- Used by
- Ukrainian Naval Aviation, Royal Navy, German Navy
- Wars
- Russia-Ukraine War
Production History
- Designer
- Westland Helicopters, based on the Sikorsky S-61/SH-3 Sea King
- Designed
- 1960s
- Built by
- Westland Helicopters
- Built in
- United Kingdom
- Produced
- 1969-1990s
- Number built
- More than 340 Westland Sea King aircraft delivered
- Variants
- Sea King HU.5, Sea King HC.4, Sea King Mk41
Specifications
- Crew
- 2-4
- Engines
- Two Rolls-Royce H.1400-2 Gnome turboshaft engines, 1,660 shp each
- Cruise speed
- 129 mph
- Range
- 764 miles
- Service ceiling
- 12,000 ft
- Maximum takeoff weight
- 21,400 lb
- Armament
- Variant-dependent; torpedoes, depth charges, or door-mounted machine gun provisions
Conflict Usage
- Russia-Ukraine War
- Side: Ukraine
Ukraine received ex-Royal Navy Sea King helicopters from the United Kingdom after UK-based crew and engineer training, and Germany later committed six Sea King Mk41 aircraft with Norway supplying spare parts to support Ukrainian maritime and coast guard capability.
Related Weapon Systems
Mi-24/Mi-35Attack helicopter and armed assault transportThe Mi-24/Mi-35 Hind family combines an armored attack helicopter with limited troop-carrying capacity, giving operators a platform for close air support, anti-armor fires, and armed escort. In the Russia-Ukraine War, Ukraine has used legacy and donated Mi-24V/Mi-35 airframes for low-level rocket attacks and adapted some Hinds to carry Western unguided rockets.
Mi-8/Mi-17Medium twin-turbine utility transport helicopterThe Mi-8/Mi-17 is a Soviet-designed medium utility helicopter family used for troop lift, cargo transport, evacuation, search-and-rescue, and armed support roles. Its large production run, 4,000 kg payload class, and widespread operator base make it one of the defining rotary-wing platforms in the Russia-Ukraine War, where Ukraine operates legacy and donor-supplied Mi-17 aircraft.
Black HornetNano reconnaissance UAVThe Black Hornet is a pocket-sized military nano-UAV used by dismounted troops for short-range reconnaissance, target identification, and immediate situational awareness. In Ukraine, donated Black Hornet 3 systems give small units a low-signature day and thermal sensor that can look over obstacles, into urban terrain, and around trench lines without exposing an operator..jpg?width=480)
DJI Matrice 300 RTKCommercial quadcopter UAVThe DJI Matrice 300 RTK is a Chinese commercial enterprise quadcopter built around long-endurance inspection, mapping, and public-safety payloads. In the Russia-Ukraine War it appears as an off-the-shelf UAV in Ukrainian service, where donor-funded sets have been supplied for reconnaissance, observation, and front-line support tasks rather than as a purpose-built military aircraft.
F-16 Fighting FalconMultirole fighter aircraftThe F-16 Fighting Falcon is a U.S.-designed single-engine multirole fighter used for air defense, air-to-air combat, suppression support, and precision strike missions. Its recent conflict record includes Ukrainian operation of Western-supplied aircraft in the Russia-Ukraine War, Israeli F-16I strike sorties during Operation Rising Lion, and U.S. F-16 employment in Operation Epic Fury against Iran.
Il-76Heavy military transport aircraftThe Il-76 is a four-engine Soviet-designed heavy transport aircraft built for military airlift, cargo delivery, troop movement, and rough-field operations. In the Russia-Ukraine War archive it is documented through Ukrainian Air Force Il-76MD use during the 2014 Luhansk airport air bridge, where one aircraft was destroyed while carrying troops and equipment.Sources
Sea King - the majesty of the skies for over 50 yearsPublisher: Leonardo UK | Note: Supports Westland Sea King background, first-flight history, mission roles, and production scale. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Sea King HC.4 ZA314Publisher: Navy Wings | Note: Supports Sea King technical specifications and general role background for the HC.4/Commando family. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Westland Sea King HAS Mk6Publisher: The Helicopter Museum | Note: Supports manufacturer, country-of-origin, engine, and general Westland Sea King background details. | Accessed: 2026-06-20UK to give artillery rounds and helicopters as part of military aid to UkrainePublisher: UK Ministry of Defence | Note: Directly supports the Russia-Ukraine War note about UK Sea King delivery to Ukraine and UK training for Ukrainian crews and engineers. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Norway to donate spare parts for Sea King helicopters to UkrainePublisher: Norwegian Government | Note: Directly supports the Russia-Ukraine War note about German Sea King donations, planned UK donations, Norwegian spare parts, and Ukraine maritime/coast guard context. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Westland WS-61 Sea King HU5, UK - Navy AN1121395.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and licensing context for the primary Sea King image. | Accessed: 2026-06-20