Lockheed Martin has announced the delivery of the 24th and final MH-60R Seahawk helicopter to the U.S. Navy in support of the Navy’s Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). The delivery took place on 27th July at Lockheed Martin’s Owego, New York facility. The event marked the official transfer of ownership of the final MH-60R Seahawk destined for the RAN from Lockheed Martin to the U.S. Navy.

Australia chose the MH-60R “Romeo” Seahawk helicopter in June 2011 to fulfill the Australian Defence Force’s requirement for a fleet of 24 new-generation, multi-role naval combat aircraft. The new MH-60R helicopters are currently replacing the RAN’s existing fleet of S-70B-2 Seahawk helicopters.

The sale to Australia marked the first international sale of a U.S. Navy MH-60R SEAHAWK helicopter. The RAN took in-country delivery of its first mission-ready aircraft in 2014, and the MH-60R SEAHAWK helicopter training Squadron, 725 Squadron, was commissioned in Nowra, New South Wales in June 2015.