SHAH ALAM: Lockheed Martin has been awarded a US$193 million (RM803 million) contract on Oct. 26 by the Pentagon for the production and delivery of four MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopters to Greece. Three of the helicopters will be optimised for anti submarine warfare as Greece also exercised an option to buy three airborne low frequency sonars (ALFS) with the contract. It is likely the fourth one will be used for training and utility duties as it is not equipped with the ALFS.
A USN MH-60R Seahawk demonstrating the use of airborne low frequency sonar. USN
Lockheed Martin Corp., Owego, New York, is awarded a $193,980,348 contract modification (P00019) to previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract N00019-19-C-0013. This modification adds a $180,000,000 not-to-exceed, undefinitized line item for the production and delivery of four MH-60R aircraft, and exercises a $13,980,348 option to procure three airborne low frequency sonars in support of the government of Greece.
Work will be performed in Owego, New York (49%); Stratford, Connecticut (37%); Troy, Alabama (7%); Brest, France (6%); and Portsmouth, Rhode Island (1%), and is expected to be completed in February 2025. Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $43,980,348 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
Based on the release above, the helicopters alone cost US$180 million meaning each cost US$45 million. And the three airborne sonars costs some US$14 million or US$4.6 million each. It is interesting to note that if we were to buy the four helicopters today it will cost around RM188 million each and another RM20 million for the ALFS.
The total cost for four Seahawks if we buy them at the moment, will amount to some RM1 billion or so if we include training, maintenance and the weapons package.
— Malaysian Defence
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View Comments (25)
Not an option for us..too premium..at this moment im happy with anything even panther asw helis..
What else we can choose. Maybe later say no France product because of their president.
I dont now if this true or not. Just read it somewhere. CMIIW. Is that true Panther is not as multirole as Seahawk and Lynx? The user need to choose only one role whether ASW or ASuW. If the user want to add ASuW suite to Panther then they cant install the ASW suite anymore and vice versa. This is due to small space in that heli. Maybe someone can enlighten me. Thanks in advance.
Reply
The Panther is a militarised Dauphin so it not big enough. Anyhow even the Seahawk, Super Lynx and the Wildcat are not big enough to be fitted for anti surface and anti submarine at the same time. The sonar equipment will take up most of the cabin. Yes one can fit missiles on these helicopters for anti surface work but then it cannot do anti submarine work or vice versa really
Delays/uncertainties with the LCSs means that a possible buy for ASW configured helos is several years away. A lot can happen then - for better or worse.
Put aside the fact that several things will have to be funded for in the coming years. As it stands various things need replacing/upgrading soon due to issues related to age.
IMHO for RM1 bil for 4 Seahawk + weapons package is cheap enough.
That is probably the cheapest MH-60R export contract yet.
The cost of each MH-60R for Greece is almost similar to the cost of Wildcats bought by the Philippines (USD114 million for 2 wildcats)
https://www.malaysiandefence.com/philippines-buys-asw-helicopters/
If we can get MH-60R at that price, by all means get them.
Wild cat or sea lion?
Wowzers! An S-70i only cost USD $15mil of the production line while an 'R' variant is 3X more and that without the sonar!
@Michael
Remember "buy British last"?
Michael,
An order is still several years away ... Even if cash were available at present; it will depend on the LCS saga being resolved.
Also, the financial and political situation then could be different - for better or worse; as such the current situation with Macron will have zero bearing in the future.
If we can’t afford something with the needed range, endurance and lift capacity (so vital for ASW); it will probably be the Wildcat which because of limitations inherent with its size/design is less than an ideal ASW platform on account of having extremely limited range and endurance if fitted out with a dipping sonar. Another option which was previously looked at or rather offered; ASW configured Cougars; is extremely unlikely.
As it stands there is zero cash allocated for the requirement which is years ahead anyway. As such what we might or might not get in the future bases on the political and financial situation; is pure conjecture.