The US Navy delivered its formal bid for the supply of 24 Sikorsky/Lockheed Martin MH-60R helicopters to Australia on July 23 for the Air 9000 Phase 8 future naval helicopter requirement.
The MH-60R ‘Romeo’ is competing against Eurocopter’s NH 90 NFH to fulfil the requirement to replace the RAN’s 16 S-70B Seahawks and the gap left by the 11 cancelled SH-2G(A) Seasprites, a decision on which is expected in early 2011.