Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk
Sikorsky Aircraft · United States · first flew 1979 · helicopter
A twin-turboshaft naval helicopter derived from the Army's UH-60 Black Hawk, serving as the US Navy's primary shipboard maritime platform.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, rotary |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × turboshaft, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 19.7 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Twin GE T700 engines flanking the rotor mast in the Black Hawk family silhouette
- Naval fittings: chin radome, starboard rescue hoist, torpedo and missile pylons
- Folding rotor blades and hinged tail pylon for small-deck shipboard stowage
The Black Hawk profile with twin engine fairings flanking the mast is the starting point. Naval clues confirm it: a chin radome, a starboard hoist, weapon pylons and the far-forward tailwheel with a folding tail pylon.
Specifications
- The Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk has a length of 19.7 m (65 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 16.36 m (54 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 270 km/h (168 mph).
- Typical crew: 3-4 (mission-dependent).
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Developed from the S-70 family to meet the Navy's LAMPS Mk III requirement, the YSH-60B first flew in December 1979. It married the Black Hawk's airframe to naval gear, folding rotors, a sensor suite and weapons for anti-submarine and anti-surface work.
Variants
The line includes the SH-60B and carrier-based SH-60F, the HH-60H rescue variant, and the modern MH-60R Romeo and MH-60S utility models that consolidated the fleet. The Coast Guard's HH-60J Jayhawk is a close relative.
Where you'll see it
In US Navy service since 1984 and exported widely, it has no UK history. The Royal Navy fills the equivalent anti-submarine and shipboard roles with the AW101 Merlin and AW159 Wildcat.
Related aircraft
- Sikorsky HH-60 Pave Hawk
- Sikorsky S-75
- Sikorsky SH-3H Sea King
- Sikorsky SH-3D Sea King
- Aérospatiale AS355 Écureuil 2
- Agusta-Bell AB412 Grifone
- Bell 412
- Eurocopter AS 355 Ecureuil 2 / AS 555 Fennec
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