MH-60R 대잠헬기를 과잉보유한 호주 해군

[위종민]

호주 해군은 MH-60R 해상작전헬기 12대를 추가 도입해 36대를 보유하게 됐는데, 수상전투함은 10척, 2026년부터는 9척뿐이라 과잉보유 상태네요. 이에 대해 호주 해군은 지속적인 작전, 훈련 및 유지보수 주기, 그리고 수상전투함 뿐만 아니라 상륙함 및 보급함에도 배치되기 때문에 문제가 없다는 입장입니다. 

호주 해군, MH-60R 헬리콥터 과잉 보유로 운용 문제 직면

호주 왕립해군(RAN)은 최근 MH-60R '로미오' 해상작전헬기 12대를 추가 도입하여 총 36대를 보유하게 되었습니다. 그러나 현재 운용 중인 호위함과 구축함의 수가 제한적이어서, 모든 헬리콥터를 효과적으로 배치하기 어려운 상황입니다. 이로 인해 일부 헬리콥터는 지상에 대기하거나 제한적으로만 활용될 것으로 예상됩니다. 전문가들은 이러한 과잉 보유가 예산 낭비로 이어질 수 있으며, 헬리콥터의 유지보수와 조종사 훈련에도 부담을 줄 수 있다고 지적합니다. 호주 해군은 이 문제를 해결하기 위해 추가 함정 도입이나 헬리콥터의 대체 활용 방안을 검토하고 있습니다.

Australia: “O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?” - Naval News

Australia: “O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?”

• Published on 07/04/2025
• By Gordon Arthur
• In News

An MH-60R of the Royal Australian Navy, one of its 23 currently operational Romeos, flies overhead. (Gordon Arthur)

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Australia will soon face a problem. It will have lots of naval helicopters, but not enough warships to embark them upon. The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) currently has 23 Sikorsky MH-60R helicopters, but it has another 13 on the way. Simultaneously, Australia’s navy presently has ten surface combatants – seven Anzac-class frigates and three Hobart-class destroyers – a total that will reduce by one next year when the frigate HMAS Arunta retires.

In one sense, this is a good problem to have – a surfeit of capable naval helicopters. But the other side of the coin is alarming – Australia has an insufficient number of warships. So perhaps the title of this article would more aptly be “O warships, warships, wherefore art thou warships”!

Naval News asked Australia’s Department of Defence about this worrying equation, but the Defence spokesperson deemed the number of helicopters to not be an issue. “The fleet size of 36 Romeos is required to support a continuous cycle of operations, training and maintenance. At any given time, Romeos are deployed or available for deployment, engaged in training at HMAS Albatross and undergoing deep-level maintenance. Romeos deploy on surface combatant ships that are capable of embarking one aircraft, and amphibious and replenishment ships that are capable of embarking multiple aircraft. The Romeos also assist in disaster relief operations throughout Australia when required.”

Australia was the first foreign country to sign up for the MH-60R, and it received 24 MH-60Rs from an order lodged in 2011 under Project Air 9000 Phase 8. All the aircraft were delivered between December 2013 and August 2016. These helicopters operationally deploy with No. 816 Squadron, while No. 725 Squadron is a conversion and training unit. Australia’s Romeo fleet surpassed 50,000 flying hours in February 2025.

Aircraft ‘24’ performs a manoeuvre at Avalon International Airshow 2023, where the MH-60R balances the helicopter on its tail wheel. (Gordon Arthur)

A subsequent Foreign Military Sale of 13 Romeos was announced in September 2022. This contract occurred under the auspices of Project Sea 9100 Phase 1, entitled the Improved Embarked Logistics Support Helicopter Project. It added twelve new helicopters, plus a replacement for an attritional loss after a Romeo ditched in the Philippine Sea in October 2021.

The formal commencement of production of the batch of 13 is imminent, with the RAN sending a senior officer to the USA to mark the occasion. The first two Romeos will be delivered in the second quarter of 2026, and all 13 are slated to be handed over by the end of next year. The original schedule for final delivery was October 2026, so this date remains within reach. These new aircraft will re-equip No. 808 Squadron, after it transferred its six MRH90 Taipans to the Australian Army in 2022.

RAN officials told Naval News that the MH-60R’s final operating capability is scheduled for 2032. This will entail having 14 Romeo flights – including aircraft, crews and logistics support – available for sea deployments that each last up to 90 days.

This particular MH-60R is embarked aboard an Australian Anzac-class frigate, as sailors man the rails. (Gordon Arthur)

Indeed, the RAN’s fleet of 36 Romeos will be ready years in advance before the navy starts increasing its surface combatant fleet. As the Defence spokesperson explained: “The enhanced-lethality surface combatant fleet will deliver more naval power sooner (general-purpose frigate from 2029). Navy’s future surface combatant fleet will comprise 26 major surface combatants, which will include, amongst other capabilities, the three current Hobart-class destroyers; six Hunter-class frigates and 11 new general-purpose frigates which will all have the ability to embark an MH-60R.”

The RAN uses the MH-60R for missions such as anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, logistics support and search and rescue. The Force Structure Plan 2020 called for an “expansion and rationalisation of the support and logistics helicopter fleet consistent with the expectations for larger naval operations,” and this is being achieved by a naval helicopter fleet comprising only one helicopter type.

At the recent Avalon International Airshow, held near Melbourne from 25-30 March 2025, Brigadier General David Walsh, Program Executive Officer for Air, Anti-submarine Warfare, Assault and Special Mission Programs for the US Naval Air Systems Command, said the MH-60R programme is a “model for international cooperation,” and that it is one built upon trust and transparency. He said the need for platforms like the MH-60R and P-8A “has never been more important”.

This MH-60R built by Sikorsky was on static display at Avalon International Airshow 2025, held in March this year. (Gordon Arthur)

Referring to the two aforementioned aircraft platforms, Walsh said, “As we look forward to the development of the two programmes, we look forward to continued research and development cooperation to bring new capabilities to the platforms, and to expand our sustainment base here in Australia to make sure, in an area of contested logistics and long supply lines, we can have the parts that we need for Australian and US aircrews to have sustainability and availability for our warfighters.”

Meanwhile, Commodore Anthony Savage, Australia’s Director General Naval Aviation, Aircrew Training and Commons, described the Romeo as “arguably the most capable combat maritime helicopter in the world”.

“We’ve actually purchased into the cooperative programme. We’ll continue to align with the growth path of the US Navy Romeo in terms of research, development and eval‎uation of new capabilities to deal with not only the emerging threat, but also obsolescence management of the platform.” He said upgrades in sensing and communications are important to both sides.

“Part of our success criteria is to stay linked with the US Navy,” said Air Commodore Angus Porter, the Australian Director General, Air Combat Capability. He added that, apart from the country names and emblems emblazoned on the sides of the aircraft, “We aim for them to be identical and to be larger interchangeable.”

Last year, Australia performed maintenance on a US Navy MH-60R transferred from the east coast of the continental US. Walsh said, “That demonstration was extremely valuable to show the capability of Australian industry to support the US as well in this theatre. I would see a priority in it here for us. To have close partners with our Australian counterparts is very important to our strategy.”

Lockheed Martin Australia, which holds an Australian support contract, performs most maintenance activities that are required from a site in Nowra in New South Wales. Only some components might need to be shipped back to the USA for repair. The company’s latest A$313.5 million (US$190.3 million) maintenance contract was announced in February. With Australia soon to have 36 naval MH-60Rs and 40 army UH-60M Black Hawks in service in the future, economies of scale present themselves.

The MH-60R is also a contender for New Zealand’s competition to replace its eight SH-2G(I) Super Seasprite naval helicopters. Commonality with Australia could be one factor, but no decision has been made yet by New Zealand’s Ministry of Defence. However, Walsh told Naval News: “I think the MH-60R is the premier anti-submarine helicopter out there, so any of our partners that acquire that capability, we’d love to have them on board. The interoperability, the interchangeability of the platform is really, really important to any of our partners.”

[강준구]

우리와는 정반대네요. 우린 함은 많고 싣고 다닐 대잠헬기는 딱 정해져있고..

[위종민]

정말이네요. 30년 다 돼가는 링스 포함 대잠헬기가 31대인대 주요 수상전투함은 29척 ㄷㄷㄷ ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_Korea_Navy#Equipment )

[강준구]

울산-포항-동해급을 대체하는 함들이 전부 헬기 격납고가 있는 함이고, 거기에 KDX 시리즈 모두 그렇죠.
수퍼링스를 대체할 20기 정도의 대잠헬기가 필요하네요. 8기의 와일드캣은 적절한 시기에 필리핀에 팔아 넘기고, MH-60R로 모두 통일하면 좋겠네요.