Royal Australian Navy loses MH-60R Seahawk helicopter
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) has lost one of its MH-60R Seahawk helicopters over the Philippine Sea
The helicopter was conducting a routine flight from the Hobart-class air warfare destroyer HMAS Brisbane, the Australian Department of Defence (DoD) explained. The helicopter conducted an emergency landing in the water during the operation, and all three crew members onboard the aircraft were rescued with minor injuries.
“With the aircrew safe, investigating the circumstances that led to the helicopter-ditching is the priority at the moment,” said Commander of the Australian Fleet, Rear Admiral Mark Hammond. “As a precaution, we have temporarily paused flying operations of the MH-60R Seahawk fleet.”
The DoD is also reviewing the effect of the incident on Brisbane's and Warramunga's current deployment.
Meanwhile, in the US, Curtiss-Wright is upgrading the mission and flight management computer on the US Navy’s fleet of Sikorsky MH-60R/S Seahawk helicopters.
Clara Bullock
Clara Bullock is a writer for ITIJ and AirMed&Rescue. Initially a freelance writer for publications ranging from gardening news to music magazines, she has made the transition to writing about the ins and outs of travel insurance and aeromedicine. In her spare time she reviews books on Instagram and eats pasta.