SH-60B

SH-60B
Name	SH-60B Seahawk
Caption	SH-60B conducting operations from a USS John F. Kennedy
Role	Anti-submarine warfare / Anti-surface warfare
Manufacturer	Sikorsky Aircraft
First flight	1979
Introduced	1983
Status	Retired from active US Navy service (replaced by MH-60R Seahawk)
Primary users	United States Navy
Produced	1980s–1990s

SH-60B The SH-60B was a shipboard multi-mission helicopter developed for the United States Navy as an evolution of the Sikorsky S-70 family to perform anti-submarine warfare and anti-surface warfare roles aboard frigates and cruisers. Designed for operation from Oliver Hazard Perry-class and Ticonderoga-class vessels, the type integrated airborne sensors, datalinks, and weapons to prosecute contacts detected by sonar and surface surveillance systems. The airframe bridged legacy systems from the SH-3 Sea King era to modern digital architectures influencing later derivatives such as the MH-60R Seahawk.

Development and Design

The SH-60B originated from requirements set by Commander, Naval Air Forces and Naval Air Systems Command to replace the SH-2 Seasprite and augment LSO-supported carrier air wings. Sikorsky adapted the S-70B baseline, incorporating mission equipment common to programs overseen by Office of the Secretary of Defense acquisition offices and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency-aligned sensor maturation. The design emphasized compatibility with Mk 92 Fire Control System-equipped escorts and integration into the Tactical Data Link architecture used aboard USS Vincennes (CG-49), enabling cooperation with Aegis Combat System ships and P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft. Structural changes included an aft folding tail and strengthened landing gear for deck operations on frigate and destroyer flight decks, reflecting lessons from Vietnam War shipborne helicopter operations and subsequent Cold War fleet readiness initiatives.

Operational History

The SH-60B entered service in the early 1980s with Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadrons assigned to Atlantic and Pacific fleets, supporting operations around theaters such as the Persian Gulf, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Western Pacific. Crews conducted coordinated missions with surface combatants like USS Enterprise (CVN-65) strike groups and maritime patrol assets including the Lockheed P-3 Orion, participating in exercises such as RIMPAC and operations tied to Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm. The aircraft’s multistatic sonar tactics, airborne radar coordination, and data link employment proved central during Cold War-era tracking of Soviet Navy submarine contacts and later low-intensity operations involving counter-smuggling and maritime interdiction alongside units from United States Coast Guard detachments and allied navies such as the Royal Australian Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.

Variants and Modifications

Baseline SH-60B airframes underwent iterative updates coordinated by Naval Air Systems Command and contractor teams at Sikorsky Aircraft and subcontractors. Modifications included mission computer upgrades derived from H-60 Multi-Mission Tactical Systems programs, corrosion control packages for prolonged deployments in the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea, and structural avionics rack reconfigurations to accept newer radar and electro-optical sensors developed under Survivability/Seakeeping improvement efforts. Some platforms were retrofitted with link systems compatible with Link 11 and Link 16 networks during integrations driven by Chief of Naval Operations interoperability directives.

avionics and Sensors

The SH-60B’s sensor suite combined airborne radar, sonar, and electronic support measures coordinated through onboard mission computers to provide fused targeting data to shipboard weapons systems. Notable systems included the APS-124 search radar, an external searchlight-compatible FLIR turret, and a dipping sonar system interoperable with sonobuoy patterns used by Lockheed P-3 Orion and Boeing P-8 Poseidon forces. Electronic surveillance receivers provided warning of emissions associated with Soviet Navy and later regional adversary surface combatants, while tactical datalinks allowed integration with command nodes such as Carrier Strike Group and Maritime Operations Center planning staffs. Avionics upgrades over time aligned with standards promulgated by Defense Information Systems Agency and Joint Chiefs of Staff interoperability guidance.

Armament and Equipment

Weapons carriage and mission equipment enabled the SH-60B to prosecute submarines and surface targets. The platform commonly carried lightweight torpedoes such as the Mark 46 torpedo and could employ anti-surface ordnance coordinated with shipboard gun and missile batteries like the Mark 45 and RIM-7 Sea Sparrow for integrated engagements. External stores stations supported expendables including sonobuoys and expendable countermeasures procured under Naval Air Systems Command logistics programs. Onboard avionics controlled targeting and weapons release procedures in cooperation with fire control suites of escorting vessels, informed by cooperative sensor data from assets like the E-2 Hawkeye airborne early warning platform.

Operators and Deployments

Primary operator of the SH-60B was the United States Navy, with squadrons assigned to Atlantic Fleet and Pacific Fleet surface combatant detachments, including deployments aboard Oliver Hazard Perry-class ships and Ticonderoga-class cruisers participating in multinational operations with partners such as the Royal Navy, Royal Canadian Navy, Royal Australian Navy, and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. The aircraft’s legacy informed procurement and doctrine changes across maritime aviation communities in allied navies engaged in anti-submarine warfare cooperation, exercise programs like UNITAS and NATO maritime exercises, and bilateral training events with the Indian Navy and Republic of Korea Navy.

Category:United States Navy helicopters Category:Sikorsky aircraft