Israel inducts first SH-60F helicopter for maritime operations
The first of eight surplus US Lockheed Martin-Sikorsky SH-60F Seahawk helicopters was inducted into the Israeli Air Force on 28 July 2026. (Israeli Air Force)
Israel has inducted into service its first Lockheed Martin-Sikorsky SH-60F Seahawk helicopter, to be used for maritime support operations.
The Israeli Air Force (IAF) announced the milestone on 29 July 2029, saying this first helicopter received from the US will be used to enhance the service's maritime support capabilities.
“The 193rd Squadron (‘Defenders of the West') reopened yesterday [on 28 July 2026] in a ceremony at the Palmahim Air Base [on the Mediterranean coast]. The squadron will operate the new SH-60F helicopter to carry out naval assistance missions and expand the operational response in the maritime space,” the IAF said. The 193rd Sqn had until its temporary disbandment in September 2025 operated the Airbus AS565 Panther at Ramat David Air Force Base.
News of the milestone came a decade after the US State Department approved the Excess Defense Article (EDA) transfer of eight surplus SH-60F helicopters and their related equipment to Israel in July 2016. EDA equipment is offered to allied nations at no cost other than the expense of refurbishment and shipping, with Israel paying approximately USD300 million for the SH-60Fs.
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