SH-60F Seahawks for Israel
When the Heyl Ha'Yam (Israeli Navy) decided to purchase four Sa’ar 6 corvettes, it also decided to replace the existing AS565MA Atalef with a more capable helicopter.
Back in 2015 the Israeli Navy decided to purchase former US Navy SH-60F Seahawk multi-mission helicopters for their new corvettes.
However, due to increasing costs for building the corvettes, the delivery of the Seahawks was also delayed. In November 2020 the first German built corvette was handed over to Israel and between May and July 2021, the Israeli Navy received the last new corvettes.
It is expected that the Seahawks will be delivered in 2022. In 2015, the US Department of Defence (DoD) approved the sale of eight SH-60Fs via the Excess Defense Articles (EDA) Programme.
The choice to opt for second-hand helicopters is dictated by budget restrictions, but also by commonality with the Heyl Ha’Avir (IAF, Israeli Air Force) Sikorksky S-70 Yanshuf helicopters. Next to the transfer of the helicopters, the complete package includes engines, electronic systems and a maintenance package to be installed.
The SH-60Fs will replace the current AS565MA Atalef helicopters of the 193rd Shield of the West Squadron based at Ramat David air base in the north of Israel. The Seahawk will be equipped with systems that will enable them to serve the operational needs of the Israeli Navy. Because the Seahawk is larger than the current AS565MA, the Navy also renovated their existing Sa’ar 5 corvettes by extending the helicopter landing platform.
The Seahawk provides almost double the payload capacity along with double the range when configured with external fuel tanks. The helicopter provides a platform that is almost identical to the S-70 Yanshuf, consolidating the maintenance programme for the type. The most significant modifications are the folding main rotor and a hinged tail to reduce its footprint aboard ships. In this position, the helicopter takes up less space than the AS565MA Atalef. The new helicopters are capable of carrying Rafael Spike or Hellfire missiles, a 20 mm canon or a rocket pod launcher.
Because of an imminnent threat to the Israeli natural gas pumping rigs in the Mediterranean, the helicopters will closely operate with the IAI Heron I Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). It is very likely that 193rd Squadron will relocate to Palmachim air base where the Seahawks will operate next to the S-70 Yanshuf helicopters of 123rd The Desert Birds Squadron and 124th The Rolling Sword Squadron.
Photos via Heyl Ha'Avir and Marijn van der Burgt (Scramble Archive)