The Indian Navy on Thursday received two of the 24 MH-60R 'Romeo' multi-mission helicopters from the US, in a boost to its overall combat capabilities. All 24 all-weather helicopters will be armed with Hellfire missiles and lethal rocket systems

In an effort to boost its combat capabilities, the Indian Navy on Thursday received two of the 24 MH-60 'Romeo' multi-mission helicopters from the US. All 24 all-weather helicopters will be armed with Hellfire missiles and lethal rocket systems.

Navy officials said the two helicopters were delivered at Cochin airport while another helicopter is scheduled to be delivered next month. India and US inked a Rs 15,000 crore deal for the helicopters through the Foreign Military Sale (FMS) route. It means the US government stands guarantee for all the obligations of the contract. Lockheed Martin manufactures these helicopters.

The first three MH-60 'Romeo' helicopters were delivered in the US in 2021 and are being used for training of the Indian Navy crew, they said.

The delivery of all 24 MH-60R helicopters will be completed by 2025. The induction of state-of-the-art mission capable platforms will significantly boost the integral anti-submarine warfare capability of the Indian Navy.

With Thursday's delivery, the total number of helicopters handed over to the Indian Navy has gone up to five. MH-60R helicopter is an all-weather helicopter designed to support multiple missions with state-of-the-art avionics and sensors.

The Navy said it will be able to deploy the helicopters in a range of roles including in anti-submarine warfare, anti-ship strike, specialised maritime operations as well as search and rescue operations.