S-61/SH-3 Sea King

• Anti-submarine helicopter • In service for 30 years

As a true rotorcraft pioneer, Sikorsky was quick to realise the potential of the helicopter for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) operations. With its HSS-1 Sea Bat already in service, Sikorsky designed the HSS-2 Sea King as its turbine- engined replacement. The company could not have realised that the Sea King would become one of the world’s most important helicopters, in service with the US Navy (USN) and many export customers.

Sikorsky S-61/SH-3 Sea King

▼ Topex

An SH-3H. belonging to HS-9 from Carrier Air Wing 8 aboard the USS Nimitz. ttios in company with a Brazilian Navy machine during the annual ‘Topex’ anti-submarino warfare exercise in tho Atlantic.

Dual-role helicopter ►

In the early /970s tho USN needed a helicopter to perform both plane guard and ASW duties aboard its attack earners and tho SH-3 proved ideal.

▼ Enduring design

Despite being in servico for nearly 40 years, the outward appearance of the S-61 has surprisingly changed very little, though the latost versions arc considerably more capable than early variants.

FACTS AND FIGURES

► Sea Kings wero heavily involved in Vietnam, rescuing many downed USN pilots during the long contlict.

► A small number of RH-ЗА minesweeper variants entered servico in 1964.

► Tho Royal Canadian Navy was the first export customer, ordortng 41 of the type.

>• Acronautiche Giovanni Agusta acquired a licence to assemble Sea Kings for the Italian air forco and navy.

► Argentina is unique in that it operates both Sikorsky and Agusta built examples.

► The SH-3 has been replaced by aboard USN carriers by the SH-60F Sea Hawk.

PROFILE

K

nown by Sikorsky. їх the S-6l anil by the US Navy a> the SI I-З. the Sea Кіпу? serves into the late I‘Mb in 11 HiMiIer. il ile numbers, having flown for the first time..it 11 March l’)sy.

Onnhining the roles of submarine hunter anil killer ih. inks to l«s Bcnilix AQS-IO • lipping >oiur. Kyan Al’N 13′) r. ldar. ami torjxilo or depth Ivinib vea|X)n load. tile SI І ЗА w. is an insiant siuiess file few
remaining I S Sea Kings have all Ixvn upgraded to SH-3I I Mandard I he design has also formed the Iv. ims of the nittclv iiiodifleil Westland Sea King In addition to its SV machines, the l ‘SN also flew nine examples of the specialised КМ-ЗЛ mlnesweeping version of the basic SH-3. while a munixt of combat search and rescue 111 1-3 aircraft. also based oil the SI-l-3 airframe, were built lor the US Air force

Export customers included Argentina. Bm/il. < anaiia, Denmark. Iran, Italy. Japan, Malaysia Peru. Spain, and the I K. Several of these deals have included production licences

ACTION DATA
Powering the SH-3H vananl ivn two Gonnro: Beats: T58-GE to turboslwtis Those provide impresstvo performnncft tor n ггадт. ч’*/ largo helicopter and afciwmg iho «emit to cany scbstw’tml iinrkysiung toad* Я со fouueod	АЙ Sea K*>3s are Meed with five btide main Mora These can be towed an and are «ntordvjngcoijin Tlw/ also feature the SAorsky spar – nsnecUm syr. tum, wuch re&ases on m=n gas if the Wades am cracked, thuti aio-ing mantertance start to potent, ii problym
ал-пе*. t. ui Sikorsky Sea iCt’g wa* а 4* to lit loMUntia ОЖІ1 In u*or >ear i тегъюп <M№ more powerful nnprvM
Even It ootneU powerful mndimo. an IVmilml built it» от SM-3H SEA МИС 2068 kW (2800 h»l
SA321CSUMB ГНЕ10Я 3300 kW [4425 hp)
NAVY HS-7 –
SEA КІЯ6 HAS. MK5 24 TS kW (3320*1
SEA KINC MAS. MK5 1230ka RS4 «1.1
SH-W SEA КШС lOOSkn («24 Bi.|
Wtion employed lor piano or *e*oh and rmeue АЛт rm Sea Kng Com not opera-» ілглме тім ASW nXn Sea Кпц» wxyk wen tono^r rangoO ftxoC wr>3 arcraft The bggrr AArtnpar. il.. Super Fndon» prvnnrili a lacteal ІгапіооП Mccofer.
The aniitcmjjo l*l rotor n tnied an iv – port side and ііізо finiurea fve иааог A s»4i. i «abifcwr a «tied on the cwxwflo tndo. The enure ta. Mjcton о moveaWs ami enn hngo to starboard kr accessibnty and stowage bokweamor decka-
Ewmp’Twn unique to the USN ‘H variant irvsudes an AOS 13B aorw. o Canada Marccvs surwibince radar, end towed magnate nnomo>/ detector »or nuntng тлтпппол
■ SPANISH SH-ЗО: True smart example is one of a batch of ex-USN machines transferred to Spain These have been upgraded to SH-3H standard and vwvn with Escuadniia 001

Sikorsky