US to Sell Taiwan 8 to 10 MH-60R Seahawk ASW Helicopters

choi

Wendell Minnick, Taiwan Pursues MH-60R ASW Helos. Defense News, July 25, 2015.
http://www.defensenews.com/story ... licopters/30503563/

Quote:

"Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense confirmed that the MD500s are scheduled for retirement and that it was seeking a replacement.

"Taiwan's Navy has two S-70C(M) ASW squadrons, the 701 and 702, formed in 1991 and 2000, respectively. The Navy also has an active ASW squadron (501) of 10 MD500 Defender helicopters procured in 1980.

Note:
(a) The "helo" is short for "helicopter."
(b) Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikorsky_SH-60_Seahawk
(a United States Navy helicopter based on the United States Army UH-60 Black Hawk and a member of the Sikorsky S-70 family; The most significant airframe modification is a hinged tail to reduce its footprint aboard ships; section 1.5 MH-60R)
(c) "Rupert Hammond-Chambers[:] 'It is also noteworthy that if the MH-60R LoR is accepted this fall it will be the first * * * since the autumn of 2006.' "

LoR = letter of request
(d) Chart of Military Helicopters. Oliver-Drab, undated
olive-drab.com/od_mvg_vehicle_id_helicopters.php
(AH - Attack Helicopter; MH - Special Operations Helicopter; SH - Anti-submarine Warfare Helicopter; UH - Utility Helicopter)
(e) MD Helicopters MD 500
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MD_Helicopters_MD_500
(1982- ; table: (current) Manufacturer  MD [for "McDonnell Douglas"] Helicopters, Inc + Primary user  Korean People's [North Korea] Air Force; section 2.2 North Korea)
(f) For “S-70C(M),” see Sikorsky S-70
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikorsky_S-70
(1979- ; section 2 Variants, section 2.2 S-70: “S-70B/C Seahawk: Maritime military model for the export market”)

is, with exceptions (see eg, section 2.2), the civilian model of Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk (for US Army) and Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk (for US Navy).

* Cross reference:
Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikorsky_SH-60_Seahawk
(section 3.2 Export versions: “S-70C: Designation for civil variants of the H-60. S-70C(M)-1/2 Thunderhawk: Export version for the Republic of China (Taiwan) Navy, equipped with an undernose radar and a dipping sonar” [qv; for China , too, whose delivery was halted due to embargo following Tiananmen massacre]
(g) “In 2010, the US announced a $3.1 billion deal for 60 UH-60M helicopters to be delivered 10 a year until the final transfer in 2018. ‘It's not a production problem [on the part of Manufacturer Sikorsky Aircraft], it's a rate of delivery the [Taiwan’s] military wants for training reasons,’ the local [Taiwanese] defense industry source said.  However, after 700 people were killed by Typhoon Morakot in 2009, Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou announced that 15 of the aircraft would be given to the National Airborne Service Corps (NASC) 內政部空中勤務總隊, under the Ministry of Interior, for humanitarian missions. * * * Taiwan still needs additional [ie, 15] Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk utility helicopters to replace the 15 Black Hawks transferred to the NASC * * * However, the US-based defense industry analyst said there have been no specifics about ‘a follow-on UH buy [again the additional 15]’ * * * Taiwan's defense industry/community criticized Ma's decision because the MH-60M was a combat configuration, not for search and rescue. The sudden announcement [in 2009] put pressure on the US government's FMS [Foreign Military Sales] program to make late adjustments, which resulted in no significant changes in the first nine aircraft [when delivered].  ‘The first nine will be the same as the Army variant’