Seoul Expands Sub Warfare Force with U.S. Helos, Patrol Aircraft

The South Korean Navy stood up its first American-made MH-60R Seahawk helicopters Wednesday in the service’s latest move to bolster Seoul’s submarine hunting forces. Ordered in a $878 million deal from 2020, 12 anti-submarine helicopters were procured under the Republic of Korea Navy’s (ROKN) Maritime Helicopter-II program. The new helicopters will embark on the fleet’s frigates and destroyers, joining previously procured Wildcat and Westland Lynx helicopters, via the 62nd Maritime Air Group at the Jinhae Naval Base near Busan. South Korea commissioned the MH-60Rs in a ceremony that showcased the anti-submarine and anti-surface capabilities of the Seahawks, which were equipped