South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Committee has approved a plan to acquire additional Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk maritime helicopters for approximately 3.24 trillion won ($2.4 billion).
The US State Department has already approved a proposed sale of 24 MH-60Rs to Seoul for an estimated $3 billion.
South Korea operates the MH-60R after ordering 12 helicopters in December 2020 under the Marine Operation Helicopter (MOH) I program through the US Foreign Military Sales mechanism. By November 2025, the navy had inducted six aircraft. On April 1, 2026, the first two were formally deployed for operations, with the remaining aircraft to follow sequentially.
The navy will acquire the new aircraft under the MOH II program, which is scheduled to run through 2032. The acquisition is intended to replace the navy’s aging Lynx helicopters and provide enhanced anti-ship and anti-submarine capabilities, as well as longer flight endurance.
Seoul acquired 25 Mk 99 Lynx and Mk 99A Super Lynx helicopters in the 1990s, equipped with dipping sonar and radar for submarine detection.
MH-60R Seahawk
The twin-engine MH-60R Seahawk is a maritime helicopter designed primarily for anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare. Secondary missions include search and rescue, surveillance, communications relay, naval gunfire support, logistics, personnel transport, and medical evacuation.
Also known as the Romeo, the MH-60R features multimode radar, electronic support measures, electro-optical/infrared sensors, datalinks, dipping sonar, sonobuoys, and aircraft survivability systems. It can carry torpedoes, air-to-surface missiles, and rockets to engage hostile targets.
The helicopter is 64.83 feet (19.76 meters) long and has a maximum takeoff weight of 23,500 pounds (10,682 kilograms). It is powered by two General Electric T700-GE-401C turboshaft engines, each producing 1,890 shaft horsepower (1,410 kilowatts).
The MH-60R has a maximum cruise speed of 140 knots (260 kilometers per hour/161 miles per hour), a service ceiling of 19,000 feet (5,800 meters), and mission endurance of 3.3 hours in the anti-surface warfare configuration.