India is moving towards clearing a proposal to buy American weapons including the Hellfire missiles and Mark 54 anti-submarine torpedoes for its MH-60 Romeo multirole helicopters.
24 of these choppers have been contracted by the Indian Navy in a fast-track deal worth over $2 billion in 2020 and they have to be equipped with weapons for carrying out operations. The proposal for buying the weapons package for the MH-60 Romeo choppers is at an advanced stage in the Defence Ministry and negotiations are also going with the American administration for the $300 million deal to be concluded under the Foreign Military Sales route, defence officials said here.
The Hellfire missile is a precision-guided missile and has been used by American forces against high-value targets including major Islamist terrorists like Al Jawahiri. The MK 54 lightweight torpedoes are used by US surface ships, fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, and are their primary anti-submarine warfare weapon.
It is already inducted into the Indian Navy’s P-8I anti-submarine warfare and surveillance planes.
India and the US had signed over-Rs 16,000 crore deal to buy 24 MH-60 Romeo helicopters from Lockheed Martin in 2020 under fast-track procedures on a government-to-government deal to hasten the process.
The 24 MH-60 Romeos would be equipped with multi-mode radars and night-vision devices as well as armed with missiles, torpedoes and other precision-guided weaponry.
The MH-60s are going to replace Sea King choppers which would be on their way out of the force very soon.
The MH-69 helicopters can operate from frigates, destroyers, cruisers and aircraft carriers.
The choppers are designed for an anti-submarine role as well as anti-ship tasks and conducting search-and-rescue operations at sea.
