This is the first time a U.S. Seahawk helicopter has fought against the Houthis.

The oh-so-controversial Signal chat leak kerfuffle notwithstanding, the Trump administration continues to carry out airstrikes against the Houthi terrorist group in Yemen. The current administration’s many obvious policy disagreements with its predecessor notwithstanding, the current round of airstrikes are in many ways a carryover from the Biden administration (though arguably they’ve ramped up in intensity since the change in leadership in the White House and the Pentagon alike).

For the most part, these strikes have been carried out by cruise missiles and fixed-wing jet aircraft. But there’s been at least one recorded incident of U.S. Navy helicopters getting in on the action.

The MH-60 Seahawk Helicopter and the Houthis

The initial inspiration for this story comes from a YouTube video published by the PilotPhotog channel in early 2024 titled “Decisive Strike: How U.S. Navy Helicopters Crushed Houthi Assault Boats” (it was reshared by MSN approximately two weeks ago, but was then inexplicably taken down). I also culled a January 2, 2024, article by Miguel Ortiz for We Are The Mighty titled “Navy helicopters sunk Iran-backed Houthi boats.”

The incident in question transpired on December 31, 2023. At 6:30 am local time on that red letter day, the container ship M/V Maersk Hangzhou (for whatever reason, the computerized simulation in the PilotPhotog video shows an MSC [Mediterranean Shipping Company] vessel) issued its second distress call within a twenty-four-hour span after being menaced by four Houthi patrol boats firing small arms and weapons. The Houthi sailors attempted to board the cargo ship, getting within 20 meters as a contract embarked security team returned fire.

In response to the distress call, the U.S. Navy deployed SH-60 Seahawk helicopters from the decks of the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) and the destroyer USS Gravely (DDG-107). Upon the Seahawks’ arrival on-scene, their crews called upon the Houthi seamen to cease and desist. The Houthis instead chose to fire upon the choppers, and paid the price for it, getting chopped up for their troubles. As per the CENTCOM tweet quoted by Ortiz:

“The U.S. Navy helicopters returned fire in self-defense, sinking three of the four small boats, and killing the crews. The fourth boat fled the area. There was no damage to U.S. personnel or equipment.”

As the text caption to the YouTube video notes, “This incident is notable as it marks the first use of American rotary-wing aircraft in direct action against Houthi elements in the region.”

The reports didn’t specify whether the Seahawks employed AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, GAU-16/A machine guns (the .50 caliber Browning M2 “Ma Deuce” by another name), or GAU-17/A 7.62x51mm NATO caliber Gatling guns, though if the patrol boats were still “danger close” to the Maersk Hangzhou at the time, presumably the choppers would’ve refrained from using the missiles to avoid collateral damage to the container ship’s crew from exploding missile fragments.

Sikorsky SH-60/MH-60 Seahawk Initial History and Specifications

Based upon the venerable U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk, the Sikorsky SH-60/MH-60 Seahawk has what the PilotPhoto narrator describes as “unique design tweaks: the main rotor blades can fold, and it has a hinged tail, making it a perfect fit for the confined spaces on ships.” The Seahawk made its maiden flight on December 12, 1979, and entered official operational service with the U.S. Navy in 1984.

Besides the previously discussed armament package, the warbird has the following tech specs and vital stats:

• Crew: Three to four
• Carrying Capacity: Five passengers in the cabin; a slung load of 6,000 lbs. (2,700 kgs) or internal load of 4,100 lbs. (1,900 kgs) for B, F, and H models
• Fuselage Length: 64 ft 8 in (19.71 m)
• Main Rotor Diameter: 53 ft 8 in (16.36 m)
• Height: 17 ft 2 in (5.23 m)
• Empty Weight: 15,200 lbs. (6,895 kgs)
• Gross Weight: 17,758 lbs. (8,055 kgs)
• Max Takeoff Weight: 21,884 lbs. (9,926 kgs)
• Max Airspeed: 146 knots (168 mph, 270 km/h)
• Service Ceiling: 12,000 ft (3,700 m)
• Powerplant: Two General Electric T700-GE-401C turboshaft engines, generating 1,890 shp (1,410 kW) each
• Maximum Range: 450 nautical miles (520 statute miles, 830 km)

According to the official Lockheed Martin info page, 330 Seahawks are in operation worldwide. (Sikorsky Aircraft has been a Lockheed Martin company since 2015.) They are extremely versatile whirlybirds; besides anti-surface vessel warfare, they can also be used for antisubmarine warfare, special operations support, and combat search and rescue.

About the Author: Christian D. Orr

Christian D. Orr was previously a Senior Defense Editor for National Security Journal (NSJ) and 19FortyFive. He is a former Air Force Security Forces officer, Federal law enforcement officer, and private military contractor (with assignments worked in Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kosovo, Japan, Germany, and the Pentagon). Chris holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Southern California (USC) and an M.A. in Intelligence Studies (concentration in Terrorism Studies) from American Military University (AMU). He has also been published in The Daily Torch, The Journal of Intelligence and Cyber Security, and Simple Flying. Last but not least, he is a Companion of the Order of the Naval Order of the United States (NOUS). If you’d like to pick his brain further, you can ofttimes find him at the Old Virginia Tobacco Company (OVTC) lounge in Manassas, Virginia, partaking of fine stogies and good quality human camaraderie.

Image: Wikimedia Commons.

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