RAN Seahawks over HMAS Sydney

The RAN took delivery of its Sikorsky Model S-70B helicopters in 1988 and the following year began operating them from HMAS Albatross, Nowra, NSW. With their arrival, Australian naval operations underwent a radical change. Australia had been negotiating the purchase of the British aircraft carrier “Invincible” to continue its successful use of jet aircraft but this had fallen through. Updating the RAN’s ageing carrier Melbourne and introducing more advanced jet fighters was no longer an option so a fundamental policy shift was necessary. From that time on, jet fighter replacement for the RAN’s Skyhawk was ruled out and highly sophisticated and impressively fitted-out helicopters would carry the burden of the RAN’s seagoing operations, not from an aircraft carrier but from newly-commissioned frigates. The helicopter chosen for the task was the Sikorsky S-70B Sea Hawk, and HMAS Adelaide, Sydney, Canberra and Darwin were named as the FFGs to receive them.

The RAN Seahawks were equipped with the most advanced avionics, making them one of the of their type in the world. The first Seahawk (the SH-60B) was developed from the US Army’s Sikorsky Blackhawk and operated with US Navy FFG’s. The S-70B model selected by the RAN differs from the American version in its avionics and other weapons systems; for instance, it is capable of delivering anti-submarine torpedos. Helicopters can be a highly vulnerable target for anti-aircraft fire – particularly sensitive are their rotor blades. However, a Sea Hawk’s crew of three, no matter what else happens, can be confident of the strength of its rotor: it can withstand direct hits from heavy machine gun fire and armour-piercing shells. This is because of the complex construction of hollow titanium spars, NOMEX honeycomb cores, and graphite trailing edges, all skinned with a sheath of glass fibre and epoxy.

The Sea Hawk is powered by two General Electric turboshaft engines of 1690hp each, giving a speed of about 147kt and a range of about 300nms. Apart from normal operational activities the RAN Seahawks, as with the Sea Kings, have taken part in spectacular rescues which have made media headlines. Notable among these was the Sea Hawk’s important role in the rescue, deep in the Southern Ocean, of French yachtswoman Isabelle Austissier and, later, the much-publicised rescue of English yachtsman Tony Bullimore.

One of Sikorsky’s early prototype helicopters, the VS-300A of 1942 with its archetypal single main rotor and boomed tail rotor. By the time this machine appeared in 1942, control problems, which had been the primary reason why the successful flight had eluded designers since the time of Leonardo da Vinci, had been solved by Sikorsky. Hence, this particular helicopter was the one which assured the future of the species.

The great Igor Sikorsky lived a long and creative life. He was a great pilot as well as a highly inventive designer. He is reported as saying, wryly, that a designer should always be the test pilot of his own planes because then you only get good designers.