Danish Defense celebrates the delivery of its first three MH-60R Seahawk helicopters by the U.S. Navy during a ceremony on June 6 in Copenhagen Harbor, Denmark. Above, an MH-60R Seahawk helicopter lands aboard a Danish frigate of the Iver Huitfeldt class. Lockheed Martin Photo
Danish Defense celebrated the delivery of its first three MH-60R Seahawk helicopters by the U.S. Navy during a ceremony on June 6 in Copenhagen Harbor, Denmark. To mark the new additions to Danish Defense, the ceremony commenced with a Lockheed Martin MH-60R Seahawk helicopter landing aboard a Danish frigate of the Iver Huitfeldt class.
The ceremony was attended by HRH Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, Danish Defense officials, the U.S. Ambassador to Denmark, the Minister of Defense for Denmark, members of the Danish Parliament, and officials from U.S. Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR). Also in attendance were executives from MH-60R Seahawk helicopter manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, and Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company.
“The delivery of these first three of nine MH-60R helicopters to Denmark is a great team accomplishment between our two governments and our industry partners,” said Capt Craig D. Grubb, U.S. Navy program manager, H-60 multi-mission helicopters with NAVAIR. “The aircraft have immediately entered service in Demark, and we look forward to operating, sustaining and advancing the MH-60R with Denmark for decades to come.”
Representing the first Foreign Military Sales (FMS) MH-60R Seahawk helicopters in Europe, the aircraft will be stationed at Air Squadron 723, Karup Air Base in Denmark. The helicopters’ primary missions will be maritime surveillance, anti-surface warfare, force protection and utility transport operations, including providing support to NATO in anti-piracy operations.
In the Arctic and North Atlantic region, the Danish MH-60R Seahawk helicopter will also provide support to austere regions, patrolling territorial boundaries, fisheries and perform search-and-rescue.
Danish Defense signed a Letter of Agreement in 2012 to procure nine MH-60R Seahawk helicopters through the U.S. FMS program to replace its fleet of British Lynx helicopters. The ninth MH-60R Seahawk aircraft will be delivered in 2018.
Denmark is the second FMS procurement for the MH-60R Seahawk helicopter, following the Royal Australian Navy, which will take delivery of its 24th MH-60R Seahawk aircraft later this year.
The MH-60R “Romeo” Seahawk helicopter is deployed as the primary U.S. Navy anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare system for open-ocean and littoral zones. U.S. naval forces have found the Romeo platform to be an operationally effective and reliable first responder for all missions and contingencies encountered at sea around the world.
In addition to its primary mission of anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, the MH-60R Seahawk aircraft performs search-and-rescue, troop transport, medical evacuation, ship-to-ship replenishment, and humanitarian relief operations.
