Lockheed Martin has won a $21 million contract to customize four MH-60R helicopters ordered by the Hellenic Navy from standard export configuration.
“This order provides non-recurring engineering and field service representative support in support of configuration efforts for four MH-60R aircraft from standard Foreign Military Sales (FMS) configuration to the government of Greece configuration,” a U.S. DoD release today said.
Work is expected to be completed in September 2027.
The Greek Ministry of Defense had signed a Letter of Acceptance (LoA) for 4 MH-60R helicopters with the US government under the foreign military sales (FMS) program in July 2020.
The new MH-60R helicopters will replace the Agusta Bell 212 in anti-submarine warfare (ASW) missions. Combined with 11 modernized Sikorsky S-70B6 they will be the "long" arm of the Hellenic Navy for missions against submarines and ships in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean.
The Greek MH-60R will come fully armed with Hellfire missiles, guided rockets and modern Mk.54 torpedoes which should be a cause for worry for the Turkish Navy. Armed with missiles and having state-of-the-sensors, the helicopters are expected to protect Greek naval and merchant ships from asymmetric threats.