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Trump Visit: CCS May Approve $2.6 Billion Deal With US For 24 MH-60R Seahawk Helicopters
A pair of US Navy Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawks, NE 712 166556 and NE 700 166541 of HSM-77 ‘Sabrehawks’, cruise over the Pacific Ocean (Pic: www.livefistdefence.com)
India’s highest decision making body on defence procurement, the Cabinet Committee on Security(CCS), might clear a $2.6 billion deal to procure 24 MH-60R Seahawk helicopters from the US, reports say. The decision is likely to come before the proposed visit to India in late February by US President Donald Trump.
The helicopters are made by Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, a Lockheed Martin company. and will likely be procured by India under the foreign military sales (FMS) route. US State Department had cleared the proposed sale almost a year ago.
The helicopters will come with radars, spare engines, targeting systems, Hellfire missiles, torpedoes and other equipment. The MH-60R are multi-mission naval helicopters used for anti-ship and anti-submarine roles apart from other secondary roles such as search and rescue.
The Indian Navy currently relies on Sea King and Kamov-27 helicopters to perform anti-submarine (ASW). The Indian Navy also has plans to buy an additional tranche of six P-8I multi-mission maritime aircraft taking its fleet strength of the aircraft type to eighteen, eight of which were bought in the first tranche, and four in the second.
India has continued its recent trend of procuring big ticket defence items from the US. Deals in the pipeline include a $1.8 billion sale of surface to air missiles and radars, possible additional orders for Apache attack helicopters and more.
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