On Tuesday, October 21, 2025, the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) of the U.S. Navy, based in Patuxent River, Maryland, acting on behalf of the U.S. Department of Defense, announced on the System for Award Management (SAM) procurement platform its intention to enter into a contract with Lockheed Martin for the production and delivery of Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk multi-mission naval helicopters for the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG).
One of the Sikorsky MH-60T Jayhawk search and rescue helicopters currently operated by the U.S. Coast Guard / Photo: PA2 Sarah Foster-Snell, USCG
Earlier, on September 8 of this year, the U.S. Coast Guard announced the purchase of 13 T700-series turboshaft engines for its fleet of Sikorsky MH-60T Jayhawk search and rescue helicopters, emphasizing that this is part of a broader program to acquire new medium-range MH-60 rescue helicopters and standardize the fleet.
Currently, the 38 Jayhawks are complemented by 94 lighter Eurocopter MH-65D/E Dolphins, for a total of 132 helicopters. According to previous statements, the future fleet is planned to consist of 127 helicopters, which suggests a potential procurement of up to 79 MH-60R Seahawks – likely to be standardized with the Jayhawks. (An earlier plan called for the acquisition of 36 additional Jayhawks based on used Seahawk airframes, though the current status of that initiative is unknown.)
At present, Lockheed Martin produces the MH-60R only for export customers – including the Republic of Korea, Australia, Norway, Greece, and Spain. Orders from New Zealand and, finally, Taiwan – which, according to an October 7 announcement, has resumed negotiations – are expected soon.
It is worth noting that the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) operates under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The Jayhawk helicopters are used for maritime search and rescue (SAR) missions as well as for law enforcement and homeland security operations, including counter-narcotics missions. In the latter role, the helicopters can be equipped with an Airborne Use of Force (AUF) package, featuring a 7.62 mm M240 machine gun and precision sniper rifles fired from the side doors, as well as additional ballistic protection and enhanced onboard communication systems.
The helicopters entered service in the early 1990s, initially designated HH-60J, and were upgraded in the late 2000s to the current MH-60T standard, featuring a glass cockpit and new sensors. The design also served as the basis for the HH-60H/G Pave Hawk used by the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force (the latter is now replacing them with the HH-60W Jolly Green II, which Norway also plans to procure).
The MH-60R Seahawk is a multi-mission naval helicopter primarily designed for anti-submarine warfare (ASW). It was developed as a successor to earlier versions of the SH-60 Seahawk, complementing the MH-60S logistics variant, and entered service with the U.S. Navy in the mid-2000s (The U.S. Navy lost a Seahawk and a Super Hornet aircraft in accidents).