A New Era

RAN’s first Romeos report for duty

The Royal Australian Navy has stepped into a new era of naval combat helicopter operations with the delivery of its first two MH-60R ‘Romeo’ Seahawk helicopters.

Barely two years after 24 Romeos were chosen under AIR 9000 Phase 8 to replace the S-70B Seahawk and the cancelled SH-2G Seasprite capability the first two aircraft, N48-001 and N48‑002 were ceremonially handed over to the RAN in a ceremony at Lockheed Martin’s Owego, New York facility on December 10. The following day they departed Owego for NAS Jacksonville, Florida where a few days later they were due to formally be signed onto the Australian state register and enter service with NUSQN 725. 725SQN is already 12 months into a transition onto the type, training with and alongside US Navy Romeo units at Jacksonville ahead of bringing the aircraft to Australia in late 2015.