On July 1, a U.S. Navy MH-60S Seahawk helicopter was forced to make an emergency water landing while on duty in the Arabian Sea. Out of the four crew members on board, three were rescued, while one remains missing. Search efforts are currently underway.
The U.S. Navy’s Central Command announced on social media platform X that the helicopter was assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Bush. After the incident, three crew members were located and safely returned to the carrier, and they are in stable condition.
According to the military, the cause of the accident is still under investigation, and there is “no indication that this emergency was caused by hostile actions.” The U.S. Navy has not yet confirmed whether the helicopter has been recovered or lost.
The MH-60S Seahawk involved was operated by Carrier Air Wing 7, which is deployed on the USS Bush. This includes Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 5, based at Naval Station Norfolk, which uses the MH-60S model.
The U.S. Navy explains that the MH-60S is typically operated by a crew of three to four and is primarily used for search and rescue, transport, and support missions. Unlike the MH-60R, which is designed for anti-submarine warfare and equipped with advanced sonar systems, the MH-60S focuses more on personnel transport, maritime rescue, and logistical support.
The USS Bush departed from Naval Station Norfolk on March 31, sailed around the southern tip of Africa via the Cape of Good Hope, entered the U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility on April 23, and has been operating in the Arabian Sea since then.
According to data from the U.S. Naval Institute, slightly less than half of all U.S. Navy ships currently deployed and operating at sea are located in the Middle East. Additionally, the U.S. Central Command previously stated that about 50,000 U.S. military personnel are carrying out missions in the region.
As of now, the U.S. military has not released the identity of the missing crew member or provided specific updates on the search and rescue operation.
