Data from the civilian flight tracking website FlightRadar24 showed a US navy MH-60R Seahawk helicopter activated its "7700" transponder code while flying over the Red Sea, near the city of Yanbu on Saudi Arabia's west coast, on 5/10.
The "7700" code is used for in-flight emergencies, such as engine failure, loss of cabin pressure, or a medical emergency. Once the 7700 code is activated, pilots must inform local air traffic control about the nature of their problem.
Flight path of the US MH-60R helicopter in the Red Sea on 5/10. *Graphics: FlightRadar24*
When the "7700" code was transmitted, the MH-60R was flying at an altitude of approximately 145 m above sea level. The helicopter's altitude then dropped to 0 before it disappeared from the tracking system.
OSINT Warfare, an X account specializing in open-source intelligence, assessed that the helicopter likely crashed into the sea.
Aviation tracking data also indicated that a P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft appeared to have been deployed to the area where the MH-60R helicopter transmitted its distress signal. The P-8A Poseidon is designed to scan vast sea areas and is often the first asset dispatched to a maritime incident. It can detect survivors from the air and deploy life rafts.
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Chart showing the altitude (green) and speed of the MH-60R helicopter. *Graphics: FlightRadar24*
US Central Command (CENTCOM), responsible for US military operations in the Middle East, has not yet commented on the incident.
Developed from the SH-60 Seahawk helicopter, the MH-60R is a multi-mission helicopter capable of anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, search and rescue, and communication. As of 2018, each unit cost approximately 34 million USD, excluding training, spare parts, and operational support.
The MH-60R transmitted its distress signal in the Red Sea amid intense fighting in the region between Houthi forces and Saudi Arabia and its allies. The Iran-backed armed group in Yemen has seized coastal areas along the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait after repelling Riyadh-backed government forces, while repeatedly attacking Saudi Arabia with missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
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Location of the Red Sea west of Saudi Arabia. *Graphics: Guardian*
Houthi forces announced on 5/10 that they had attacked the international airport in Riyadh, an oil refinery, and other locations in Saudi Arabia.
The US has lost equipment since launching operations in the Middle East in late February. Pentagon statistics and open-source data indicate at least 90 US aircraft have been destroyed or damaged in the Middle East conflict, including numerous helicopters.
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MH-60R helicopter preparing to land on the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Middle East in June. *Photo: US Navy*
A US Apache helicopter crashed near the Strait of Hormuz on 8/6; two pilots were later rescued by an unmanned surface vessel. US President Donald Trump stated that an Iranian suicide drone "hit the cockpit and became stuck between the two pilots" while the helicopter was flying low over enemy territory.
Pham Giang (According to Anadolu, AFP)
