MH-60 Multi-Mission Aircraft

In the US military's Mission Design Series (MDS) designation system for aerospace vehicles, the modified mission prefix letter "M" stands for Multi-mission. With regards to the H-60 airframe, variants designated with the M prefix range from helicopters capable of performing multiple utility missions to those designed specifically to support special operations forces.

MH-60s used by the US Army have included the MH-60K, MH-60L, and MH-60M, all of which were designed to provide medium and utility helicopter support to special operations forces unique missions. These aircraft featured advanced avionics, defense countermeasures, and other mission specific systems.

The US Air Force's MH-60G and the US Navy's MH-60R aircraft were also developed in part to assist with special operations forces missions. The MH-60G is essentially identical to the Combat Search and Rescue HH-60G, with the designation MH-60G designation specifying its role in special operations forces missions. The MH-60R, similar to the SH-60R, was designed to support a variety of missions, including special operations forces support.

The US Navy's MH-60S, originally designated CH-60S, was developed for medical evacuation and ship replenishment missions, in order to replace existing H-46 aircraft in US Navy service. It is also used for airborne mine clearance and anti-submarine warfare, and can be used to support special warfare missions. This variant was developed from the US Army's UH-60L utility helicopter.

The US Coast Guard's MH-60J and MH-60T Jayhawks were identical to the standard HH-60J and HH-60T aircraft. The change in designation indicated the mounting of the Airborne Use of Force (AUF) armament package, intended primarily for maritime counter-narcotics operations.