Aircraft & UAVs

SH-60 Seahawk helicopter

Also known as
  • Seahawk
  • Sea Hawk
  • H-60 Seahawk
  • SH-60
  • SH-60B
  • SH-60F
  • HH-60H
  • MH-60R
  • MH-60S
  • Sikorsky Seahawk

The 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.

SH-60 Seahawk helicopter, Shipboard maritime helicopter family, Aircraft & UAVs
Image source: MH-60R Seahawk.jpg

Role in Conflicts

Profile / Specs

Specifications

Crew
3-4 depending on variant
Power plant
2 x General Electric T700-series turboshaft engines
Mission profile
Anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, search and rescue, cargo lift, special operations, mine countermeasures, medical evacuation, and maritime force protection
Shipboard basing
Cruisers, destroyers, littoral combat ships, aircraft carriers, amphibious ships, and other aviation-capable vessels
Rotor diameter
53 feet 8 inches
Maximum speed
About 180 knots
Rescue and cargo equipment
Rescue hoist with 250-foot cable and 600-pound lift capability; cargo hook rated to 6,000 pounds
Family Roles At A Glance

The Seahawk family is best read as a shipboard H-60 ecosystem rather than a single role helicopter. The visible differences on the page are driven by mission systems, sensors, and embarked weapons more than by the baseline H-60 airframe.

BranchMain roleReader context
SH-60B Seahawk helicopter, LAMPS Mk III naval helicopter, Aircraft & UAVsSH-60BSurface-combatant ASW and surface warfareLAMPS Mk III helicopter for cruisers, destroyers, and frigates, with radar, sonobuoys, torpedoes, Hellfire, Penguin, and crew-served guns documented by NHHC.
SH-60F / HH-60HCarrier ASW, strike rescue, and special warfare supportThe F model brought carrier-focused anti-submarine capability, while the H model supported strike-rescue and special-warfare missions.
MH-60R Seahawk helicopter, Primary anti-submarine and surface warfare helicopter, Aircraft & UAVsMH-60RPrimary ASW and surface warfareNAVAIR identifies the Romeo as the current replacement for SH-60B/F aircraft, centered on anti-submarine and surface-warfare mission systems.
MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter, Multi-mission maritime helicopter, Aircraft & UAVsMH-60SMulti-mission combat supportThe Sierra branch handles surface warfare, personnel recovery, special warfare support, logistics, vertical replenishment, humanitarian missions, and airborne mine countermeasures.
Variants

The Seahawk record covers the Navy H-60 family rather than a single airframe block: SH-60B and SH-60F were the original LAMPS and carrier anti-submarine branches, HH-60H added strike-rescue and special-warfare support, and MH-60R/S aircraft replaced those legacy variants in front-line service.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
SH-60B Seahawk helicopter, LAMPS Mk III naval helicopter, Aircraft & UAVsSH-60B Seahawk helicopterLAMPS Mk III surface-combatant helicopter

NHHC describes the SH-60B as the Navy's LAMPS Mk III Seahawk for surface warfare and anti-submarine warfare from cruisers, destroyers, and frigates.

Sources: SH-60B Seahawk | NHHC

SH-60F SeahawkCarrier anti-submarine helicopter

The SH-60F entered operational service in 1989 as the carrier-centered anti-submarine Seahawk variant.

Sources: SH-60B Seahawk | NHHC

HH-60H SeahawkStrike-rescue and special-warfare support helicopter

Navy histories identify the HH-60H as the Seahawk strike-rescue branch that saw its first combat operations during Desert Storm.

Sources: Thunder and Lightning - The War with Iraq | NHHC

MH-60R Seahawk helicopter, Primary anti-submarine and surface warfare helicopter, Aircraft & UAVsMH-60R Seahawk helicopterCurrent anti-submarine and surface-warfare variant

NAVAIR identifies the MH-60R as the Navy's primary anti-submarine and surface-warfare helicopter and the replacement for legacy SH-60B/F aircraft.

Sources: MH-60R Seahawk | NAVAIR

MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter, Multi-mission maritime helicopter, Aircraft & UAVsMH-60S Sea Hawk helicopterCurrent multi-mission and combat-support variant

The Navy fact file assigns MH-60S aircraft to surface warfare, combat search and rescue, airborne mine countermeasures, logistics, and combat-support missions.

Sources: MH-60S Seahawk > United States Navy > Display-FactFiles

Carried Munitions

Official Navy and NHHC sources list AGM-114 Hellfire missiles among Seahawk-family weapons for armed surface-warfare and ship-defense missions.

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

NHHC lists AGM-114 Hellfire missiles among SH-60B armament, and HSC-21 history notes later MH-60S armed-helicopter modifications with AGM-114 missiles.

Sources: SH-60B Seahawk | NHHC, HSC-21 History

Timeline

SH-60 Seahawk helicopter Key Events

  1. First production SH-60B flight

    The first production SH-60B Seahawk flew on 11 February 1983, leading into operational service in 1984.

    Sources: SH-60B Seahawk | NHHC

  2. SH-60F enters operational service

    The SH-60F entered operational service with HS-10 at NAS North Island, adding a carrier-centered anti-submarine branch to the Seahawk family.

    Sources: SH-60B Seahawk | NHHC

  3. HH-60H combat debut in Desert Storm

    NHHC describes Desert Storm as the first combat operations for the HH-60H strike-rescue Seahawk.

    Sources: Thunder and Lightning - The War with Iraq | NHHC

  4. MH-60S enters Navy service

    The MH-60S entered service in 2002 as a multi-mission maritime helicopter that replaced CH-46D Sea Knight and HH-60H aircraft in several front-line roles.

    Sources: MH-60S Seahawk > United States Navy > Display-FactFiles

  5. MH-60R reaches full operational capability

    The MH-60R reached full operational capability in 2010 and replaced the legacy SH-60B and SH-60F aircraft.

    Sources: MH-60R Seahawk | NAVAIR

  6. Red Sea small-boat engagement

    U.S. Navy helicopters from USS Eisenhower and USS Gravely answered Maersk Hangzhou's distress call and sank three Houthi small boats after the boats fired on the helicopters.

    Sources: U.S. Navy Helo Crews Kill Houthi Assault Boat Teams After Red Sea Attack, CENTCOM Houthi Small Boats Attack Statement

  7. MH-60R Red Sea counter-UAV use reported

    The War Zone reported that a Navy MH-60R Romeo Seahawk deployed to the Red Sea had shot down a Houthi drone during the campaign.

    Sources: Navy MH-60 Seahawk Helicopter Has Shot Down Its First Drone

Media

SH-60 Seahawk helicopter Videos

SH-60 Seahawk helicopter Images

SH-60 Seahawk helicopter, Shipboard maritime helicopter family, Aircraft & UAVs - view 1
Source: SH-60B Seahawk.jpg
SH-60 Seahawk helicopter, Shipboard maritime helicopter family, Aircraft & UAVs - view 2
Source: MH-60S Sea Hawk.jpg
Related Weapon Systems
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-60S Sea Hawk helicopter, Multi-mission maritime helicopter, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsMH-60S Sea Hawk helicopterMulti-mission maritime helicopterThe 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.
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.
Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King, Anti-submarine warfare and utility helicopter, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsSikorsky SH-3 Sea KingAnti-submarine warfare and utility helicopterThe Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King is the U.S. Navy H-3/S-61 maritime helicopter family built around twin turboshaft engines, an amphibious boat hull, dipping sonar, and carrier-deck folding features. Designed as a Cold War anti-submarine platform, it also became a rescue, utility, minesweeping, astronaut-recovery, and presidential-transport airframe, with direct Vietnam War combat-search-and-rescue documentation and later U.S. Navy service lasting until the last operational UH-3H retirement in 2009.
CH-148 Cyclone, Maritime helicopter, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsCH-148 CycloneMaritime helicopterThe Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone is Canada's shipboard maritime helicopter, a military derivative of the S-92 built by Sikorsky for Royal Canadian Air Force detachments embarked on Royal Canadian Navy warships. Canadian sources describe it as a day/night, all-weather platform for surface and subsurface surveillance, search and rescue, tactical transport, anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, with operational deployments under NATO assurance, maritime-security, and sanctions-monitoring missions.
Standard Missile-2 (SM-2), Shipboard surface-to-air missile family, MunitionsMunitionsStandard Missile-2 (SM-2)Shipboard surface-to-air missile familyThe Standard Missile-2 (SM-2) is a Raytheon-built shipboard surface-to-air missile family used by U.S. and allied navies for fleet area air defense and ship self-defense. Aegis ships launch SM-2 from vertical launch systems, guide it by inertial navigation and mid-course commands, and use semi-active radar or infrared terminal homing in later medium-range blocks. U.S. Navy reporting documents USS Carney firing an SM-2 in October 2023 during Red Sea defense operations against Houthi missiles and drones.

Sources

SH-60B Seahawk | NHHCPublisher: Naval History and Heritage Command | Note: Supports Seahawk family background, the first production SH-60B flight in 1983, SH-60F operational service, SH-60B role and armament, and the family expansion across the H-60 line. | Accessed: 2026-07-01MH-60 Seahawk Helicopter > United States Navy > Display-FactFilesPublisher: United States Navy | Note: Supports the Seahawk family overview, mission split between MH-60R and MH-60S aircraft, shipboard basing, rescue hoist, cargo hook, and general characteristics. | Accessed: 2026-07-01MH-60S Seahawk > United States Navy > Display-FactFilesPublisher: United States Navy | Note: Supports MH-60S contractor background, service entry, crew, propulsion, replacement of HH-60H Seahawk helicopters, and multi-mission role list. | Accessed: 2026-07-01MH-60R Seahawk | NAVAIRPublisher: Naval Air Systems Command | Note: Supports MH-60R mission set, 2006 deployment date, 2010 full operational capability, and replacement of the SH-60B and SH-60F aircraft. | Accessed: 2026-07-01MH-60R SEAHAWK Helicopter | Lockheed MartinPublisher: Lockheed Martin | Note: Supports manufacturer framing for the MH-60R Seahawk as a multi-mission maritime helicopter. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Thunder and Lightning - The War with Iraq | NHHCPublisher: Naval History and Heritage Command | Note: 1990 Gulf War: directly supports HH-60H Seahawk use in Desert Storm combat operations. | Accessed: 2026-07-01HSC-21 HistoryPublisher: Naval Air Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet | Note: 2003 Iraq War: directly supports MH-60S Naval Air Ambulance Detachments deployed to U.S. Army Central Command for Operation Iraqi Freedom and later combat-support missions tied to Basrah, Iraq. | Accessed: 2026-07-01U.S. Navy Helo Crews Kill Houthi Assault Boat Teams After Red Sea AttackPublisher: USNI News | Note: 2023 Red Sea Crisis: directly supports U.S. Navy helicopter crews responding from USS Eisenhower and USS Gravely to the Maersk Hangzhou attack and sinking three Houthi small boats. | Accessed: 2026-07-01CENTCOM Houthi Small Boats Attack StatementPublisher: U.S. Central Command | Note: 2023 Red Sea Crisis: directly supports the December 31, 2023 engagement in which U.S. Navy helicopters returned fire and sank three Houthi small boats after coming under fire. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Navy MH-60 Seahawk Helicopter Has Shot Down Its First DronePublisher: The War Zone | Note: 2023 Red Sea Crisis: directly supports reported Red Sea use by a Navy MH-60R Seahawk against a Houthi drone. | Accessed: 2026-07-01MH-60R Seahawk.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for the primary MH-60R Seahawk gallery image, a public-domain U.S. Navy photo. | Accessed: 2026-07-01SH-60B Seahawk.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for the SH-60B Seahawk gallery image, a public-domain U.S. Navy photo. | Accessed: 2026-07-01MH-60S Sea Hawk.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for the MH-60S Seahawk gallery image, a public-domain U.S. Navy photo. | Accessed: 2026-07-01