The US Navy has received the first MH-60R Seahawk helicopter from Lockheed Martin in a ceremony held at its facility in Owego, New York.
The helicopter has been built for Denmark.
Go deeper with GlobalData
The Danish Government selected nine MH-60R multi-mission maritime helicopters in 2012 for its maritime helicopter replacement programme.
Air anti-submarine warfare, assault and special mission programmes executive officer rear admiral CJ Jaynes said: "We are excited to accept this aircraft bound for Denmark.
"The Romeo is the US Navy’s primary rotary anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare platform in operation and we’re proud to know these will be flying soon with the Royal Danish Air Force, our first Seahawks in Europe."
Currently, the MH-60R is the primary US Navy anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare system for both open-ocean and littoral zones.
Built by Sikorsky Aircraft, the latest MH-60R received advanced mission systems and sensors from Lockheed Martin.
The MH-60R helicopter team includes Sikorsky Aircraft, Lockheed Martin, General Electric, Raytheon, and CAE.
The new aircraft will support the Royal Danish Navy’s anti-surface warfare missions, anti-piracy operations, and will protect and defend the country’s interests in the North Atlantic during international deployments.
The new aircraft will now undergo a series of testing to validate Danish configuration modifications before being delivered to Denmark.
The delivery of the first aircraft is scheduled in the second quarter of 2016, while Denmark is expected to receive all nine helicopters from the US Navy by mid-2018.
Lockheed Martin Aviation and Unmanned Systems vice-president Dan Spoor said: "MH-60R helicopters host the complete package of sensors and systems that address today’s increasing threats."
Image: The Royal Danish Navy will use MH-60R Seahawk helicopter to support anti-surface warfare missions, as well as anti-piracy operations. Photo: courtesy of Lockheed Martin Corporation.
