Submarine technology has developed rapidly in the latest years. The most advanced of its kind are very dangerous and high-precision weapons. To prevent its dominance, the military industry has developed equally the effectiveness of ASW helicopters.
Today, these kinds of helicopters are more effective than ever. How the best of its kind would perform against a powerful submarine?
MH-60R Seahawk: The Best of Its Kind
The Sikorsky MH-60 Seahawk is a multi-purpose helicopter with two engines that were built in 1984. The helicopter was probably built for the US Navy and so far, more than 940 have been built for countries all over the world. The capabilities vary, depending on the exact version. Of course, some of them are the Anti-Submarine Ware, rescue, and more. Even if there are many versions, the only ones that were exported outside the US are the S-70B, S-70L, and S-70C.
The MH-60R Seahawk is the most advanced ASW version of the helicopter. The weapon started serving in 2006 and is a medium between SH-60B and SH-60F.
The helicopter is equipped with sensors, the incoming missiles warning system AN/AAR-47, the electronic system AN/ASS-44, the automatic decoy dispenser AN/ALE-39, the infrared jammer AN/ALQ-144, and the AN/ALQ-210 electronic warfare support system.
Besides that, other sensors are the AN/APS-147 radar, the AN/AQS-22 advanced sonar, the AN/ARC-210 radio, the AN/SRQ-4 Hawlink, the LN-100G communication radio, and more. In 2020, the helicopter was equipped with a magnetic anomaly detector.
The helicopter can launch Mk-53 torpedoes and Hellfire missiles. There are way more systems and sensors than armament, but that's logical if you take in mind that the primary goal of ASW helicopters is to track submarines rather than destroy them.
How Would It Perform Against An Advanced Submarine
The newer and more advanced ASW helicopters are effective in detecting hostile submarines. The MH-60R's systems are way better than anything else and are weapons that can make a difference in Aegean.
In a typical operation, MH-60R would try and detect and hostile nearby submarine, and it would launch any available missile or torpedo against it. Although, because its armament is limited, the rest of the fleet would finish the job!
