First flight Indian Navy Seahawk

On 20 April 2021, the "first" Bharatiya Nau Sena (Indian Navy) Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk, serial IN754, was photographed while making its first flight from the Sikorsky/Lockheed Martin production facility at Owego (NY).

As Scramble Magazine reported on 9 March 2021, the first three Seahawks (serials IN751 to IN753) are reported to divert from the US Navy production line.

India fast tracked the acquisition of the Seahawk helicopters. In November 2018, a Letter of Request (LoR) was issued to the US government for the acquisition of 24 MH-60R anti-submarine helicopters. On 2 April 2019, the US State Department made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to India of the MH-60R. The total value of the FMS is USD 2.6 billion, including support equipment and ammunition, such as Hellfire missiles, advanced precision kill weapons system rockets and MK54 torpedoes. Also part of the sale is general support, technical as well as logistics, personnel training and training equipment.

Photo via Sikorsky