Helicopter   Sikorsky   Military Aircraft Procurement  

Indian Navy retires Westland Sea King Mk 42B/C after MH-60R selection

The Indian Navy has formally retired its 25 Westland Sea King Mk 42B/C aircraft for maritime combat and maritime search-and-rescue, ending a process launched in autumn 2018 after the service selected the Sikorsky MH-60R. The move completes the transition away from the Sea King fleet.

Discovered 2026-06-16T03:06:58.296889-07:00 | 2026-06-16T03:06:58.296889-07:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

  • The retirement of 25 Sea King Mk 42B/C platforms marks a clear shift in India’s naval rotary-wing maritime combat and search-and-rescue capability alignment after the MH-60R selection process initiated in 2018.
  • For maritime forces planning fleets and sustainment, the milestone highlights how long procurement/transition timelines can drive capability gaps and require follow-on aircraft readiness to be sequenced correctly.
  • It also provides operational context for broader maritime domain competition and ISR concepts such as the persistent maritime missions discussed in MQ-9B SeaGuardian positioned for US Navy–Marine Corps maritime mission advantage.

Reported By

Vertical Mag avionslegendaires.net
Sources Tracked
2
First Seen
2026-06-16T03:06:58.296889-07:00
Latest Update
2026-06-16T03:33:52.707320-07:00
Coverage
Defense

Sources

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