The State Department approved a possible $300 million Foreign Military Sales (FMS) request to Israel for Excess SH-60F Sea-Hawk Helicopter equipment and support.
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified Congress of the potential sale on July 5.
Israel’s procurement request includes 12 T-700 GE 401C engines (10 installed and two spares), eight AN/APN-194(V) Radar Altimeters; eight AN/APN-217A Doppler Radar Navigation Sets; eight AN/ARN-15l (V)2 Global Positioning Systems; eight AN/APX100(V) Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) Transponder Sets; eight OA-8697 A/ARD Direction Finding Groups; eight AN/ARN-118(V) NAV Receivers; eight AN/ARN-146 On Top Position Indicators; 16 IP-1544A/ASQ-200 Horizontal Situation Video Displays (HSVD); eight AN/ARC-174A (V)2 HF Radios; 16 AN/ARC182(V) UHF/UHF Radios; eight PIN 70600-81010-011 Communication System Controllers; eight GAU-16 50 Caliber Machine Guns; eight M-60D/M-240 Machine Guns; eight Internal Auxiliary Fuel Tanks; 16 External Auxiliary Fuel Tanks; and eight C-11822/AWQ Controllers, Armament System.
The sale also includes spares and repair parts, support and test equipment, communication equipment, ferry support, publications and technical documentation, U.S. government and contractor engineering, technical and logistics support services, and other related elements of logistical and program support.
Israel earlier was approved to receive eight SH-60F Sea Hawk Helicopters through the Excess Defense Articles (EDA) Program in a separate notification. That earlier approval only included the helicopter airframes while this FMS request includes all of the major componenets and customer-unique requirements to supplement the EDA grant transfer, DSCA said.
The prime contractors for the sale are Science and Engineering Services, LLC and General Electric [GE].
DSCA highlighted the SH-60F rotorcraft and this equipment is set to be used onboard four newly purchased Israeli frigates that are tasked with securing the Leviathon Natural Gas Field. The helicopters will be used by the frigates to patrol and protect the gas fields and other areas under threat.
“The SH-60F Sea-Hawk Helicopters along with the parts, systems, and support enumerated in this notification will provide the capability to perform troop/transport deployment, communications relay, gunfire support, and search and rescue,” the agency said in a statement.
The Sea Hawks also have secondary missions of vertical replenishment, combat search and rescue, and humanitarian missions.
Implementation of the sale would require the assignment of additional U.S. government and/or contractor representatives to Israel.