Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King

The Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King was the first operational U.S. helicopter that could hunt and attack a submarine on its own. It flew for the U.S. Navy from 1961 to 2006, carried presidents as Marine One and picked astronauts out of the ocean.

“Sea King” also names a British-built cousin from Westland, so the two often get mixed up. This page covers the American original first, then the Westland version, then who still flies either one.

What Is the Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King?

The SH-3 Sea King is a twin-engine, amphibious helicopter that Sikorsky built for the U.S. Navy as the HSS-2. The prototype first flew on March 11, 1959, and the type entered Navy service in 1961.

Sikorsky won a 1957 Navy contract for an all-weather amphibious helicopter that would combine the roles of hunter and killer, which earlier helicopters had split between them. That is why the Sea King is described as a hunter-killer.

More than 1,300 were built once licence production in the UK, Italy, Japan and Canada is counted. Sikorsky’s own count is 794 aircraft across the whole S-61 family. Aviastar dates that Sikorsky line from 1959 to 1980, Sikorsky’s archive gives 1981 for the family, and Wikipedia says the Sikorsky Sea King line closed in the 1970s.

How the Sea King Hunted Submarines

The Navy’s anti-submarine version carried a dipping sonar, a listening device lowered on a cable into the water. The SH-3 used the AQS-13 family of dipping sonars, and Sea Kings also carried sonobuoys and an ASQ-81 magnetic anomaly detector.

Once a contact was found, the same helicopter could drop homing torpedoes. Typical loads were two or four Mk 44 or Mk 46 torpedoes, and some Sea Kings could also carry a B57 nuclear depth charge.

A normal crew was four: a pilot, a copilot and two aircrew in the cabin who ran the sonar and read its data. In the rescue role the cabin could take up to 22 survivors, and in the troop role up to 28 soldiers.

Can a Sea King Helicopter Land on Water?

Yes. The Sea King was built with a sealed, boat-shaped hull, and Sikorsky’s own history says water takeoffs and landings were made with the landing gear retracted.

The main wheels fold into two sponsons on the sides of the hull. Those sponsons double as stabilizing floats, and inflatable bags in them added buoyancy and resisted rolling. A watertight hull let a downed Sea King float on the surface for a prolonged period.

Carriers typically kept a Sea King airborne near the ship as a plane guard, ready to pick up aircrew who crashed on takeoff or landing.

Sea King Variants: From HSS-2 to SH-3H

The first production model, the HSS-2, became the SH-3A when the services unified their aircraft designations. About 245 were built, and the Canadian CH-124 and the VIP VH-3 came from the same basic airframe.

The SH-3D is the version whose figures appear in the specification table on this page. Later the Navy converted 105 aircraft to the SH-3G utility standard and upgraded 163 to the SH-3H.

The Air Force took three SH-3As as CH-3Bs for radar-station logistics. The larger S-61R, with a rear loading ramp, became the CH-3C, HH-3E “Jolly Green Giant” and the Coast Guard’s HH-3F Pelican, and our HH-3F Pelican page covers that branch. Airlines and offshore operators bought the civil S-61L and S-61N.

The Numbers Behind the Sea King

The full specification table for the aircraft is on this page, so this section only explains the figures that need context.

Start with the “wing span” row. A helicopter has no wing, so the panel’s entry is the main rotor diameter of 62 ft 0 in (18.90 m).

The speed rows show two numbers. The top speed is 144 kt (166 mph, 267 km/h). The cruise speed is 118 kt (136 mph, 219 km/h), which Jane’s gives as the speed for maximum range.

The range figure comes with a qualifier. Jane’s gives 542 nm (620 mi, 1,000 km) with maximum fuel and a 10 percent reserve. Sikorsky’s archive lists a combat endurance of four hours for the original HSS-2, which says more about how long it could hover over a sonar.

Each engine produced 2 × 1,400 shp, but the main gearbox limited the pair to a total of 2,500 horsepower. A Sea King could also continue flying on one engine if the other failed.

Sources disagree on maximum takeoff weight. Jane’s and Aviastar give 21,500 lb (9,750 kg) for the SH-3D, while the USS Midway Museum and Military Factory print 22,050 pounds. The panel uses the Jane’s figure, which two independent sources support.

The Sea King Speed Record and the Apollo Recoveries

On February 5, 1962, a modified Navy HSS-2 set an absolute helicopter speed record of 210.6 mph (338.9 km/h) near New Haven, Connecticut. The pilots were Lt. Robert Crafton of the Navy and Capt. Louis Keck of the Marine Corps.

The Sea King also became the standard way to get spacecraft crews out of the water. Wikipedia dates that role from Mercury-Atlas 7 in May 1962, and a Sea King nicknamed Helicopter 66 flew several of the Apollo recoveries.

Sea King Helicopters as Marine One

The VIP version, the VH-3, carried the President of the United States. Sikorsky delivered its first VH-3A in 1962, and the VH-3D took over the presidential job in 1976.

Sikorsky built 11 VH-3Ds, and the Marine Corps flew them with Marine Helicopter Squadron One (HMX-1). Sikorsky’s archive notes the white-topped paint scheme dates to the Eisenhower administration.

The VH-92A Patriot is replacing them. As of July 2026 The War Zone reported that the Marine Corps expected to retire the VH-3D fully during 2026, once the new White House helipad let the VH-92A handle departures from the South Lawn. Our Marine One guide tracks the current status.

The Westland Sea King: Britain’s Version

Westland licence-built the S-61 in Britain, and its first Westland-built helicopter flew on May 7, 1969. Westland built more than 330 Sea Kings, and its line ran many years longer than Sikorsky’s. They differ from the American aircraft, most visibly in their Rolls-Royce Gnome turboshaft engines.

The British family includes the HAS anti-submarine versions, the HAR.3 rescue helicopter, the HC.4 Commando troop carrier and the airborne early warning conversions. In the Falklands War they flew anti-submarine patrols, reconnaissance and resupply missions, and acted as decoys against Exocet missiles.

The Royal Navy retired the anti-submarine Sea King in 2003. RAF search and rescue ended in 2015, and the last Royal Navy variant, the ASaC7 early-warning helicopter, left service in September 2018.

Does Canada Still Use Sea King Helicopters?

No. The Royal Canadian Air Force flew the CH-124 Sea King for 55 years, after Canada bought the type in 1963, and held a retirement parade in Victoria, British Columbia, on December 1, 2018.

The fleet logged more than 550,000 flight hours. The CH-148 Cyclone took over the shipborne helicopter role under a contract for 28 aircraft.

Are Sea King Helicopters Still in Service?

Not with the U.S. Navy. The Navy replaced the Sea King in the 1990s with the non-amphibious SH-60 Seahawk, and the SH-3 was ceremonially retired at NAS Norfolk on January 27, 2006. NAVAIR says the last Navy UH-3H went on December 11, 2009, to Marine Helicopter Squadron One for training and testing.

Sea Kings still fly elsewhere. Wikipedia lists the Indian Navy (Westland Mk 42C, with the older Mk 42B phased out in June 2026), Pakistan, Egypt and Ukraine, which received donated British and German aircraft, as current Westland operators.

A September 2009 report, cited by Wikipedia, put the number of Sea Kings still operating worldwide at nearly 600. No current count is published.

What Replaced the Sea King?

There is no single successor. The U.S. Navy moved to the SH-60 Seahawk family, which today includes the MH-60R Seahawk, and Canada moved to the CH-148 Cyclone.

The Royal Navy’s Sea King ASaC7 radar helicopter gave way to the Crowsnest system, which fits a radar pod to Merlin helicopters. Marine One is moving to the VH-92A Patriot.

Because the Seahawk is not amphibious, the hull-landing ability was one thing the Navy gave up in the move.

Sea King Helicopter Price and Where to See One

No reliable original unit cost has been published, and the figures quoted online do not trace to a primary source, so this page does not give one. The civil S-61L and S-61N were the versions sold to commercial buyers.

Retired Navy Sea Kings are on display in several U.S. museums, including the USS Midway Museum in San Diego, the USS Hornet Museum in Alameda, the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola and Patriots Point in Charleston.

For other helicopters of the era, see our guide to the most famous helicopters and our overview of the types of military helicopters.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Canada still use Sea King helicopters?

No. The RCAF retired the CH-124 Sea King in December 2018 after 55 years, and the CH-148 Cyclone replaced it.

What replaced the Sea King helicopter?

The U.S. Navy replaced it with the SH-60 Seahawk in the 1990s, Canada with the CH-148 Cyclone, and the Royal Navy’s airborne early warning Sea King with Crowsnest-equipped Merlin helicopters. Marine One is moving from the VH-3D to the VH-92A Patriot.

What is the most feared helicopter in the world?

No agreed ranking exists, and the Sea King would not be on a typical list. It was a submarine hunter and rescue helicopter, not an attack helicopter, so the usual answers are gunships. See our guide to the best attack helicopters in the world.

Can a Sea King helicopter land on water?

Yes. It has a sealed, boat-shaped hull, with the wheels retracted into sponsons that double as stabilizing floats. The Sea King can take off and land on the water and float there.

How fast is the Sea King helicopter?

The SH-3’s top speed is 144 kt (166 mph, 267 km/h). The cruise speed is 118 kt (136 mph, 219 km/h), which Jane’s gives as the speed for maximum range.

Is the Sea King still Marine One?

Not for much longer. The VH-92A Patriot is replacing the VH-3D Sea King, and as of July 2026 the Marine Corps expected to retire the last VH-3Ds during 2026.