The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) has taken delivery of its next generation of helicopters, two Seahawk "Romeos" designed for fighting submarines and other combat vessels.

The Navy has bought 24 of the new Seahawks, which are modelled on the Black Hawk helicopters used by the Army, at a cost of $3 billion.

The first two rolled off the production line of US manufacturer Lockheed Martin in December and the rest are expected by the end of next year.

Instead of bringing the first few back home straight away, the RAN has sent its crews to the US naval base in Jacksonville, Florida, for training.

The US Navy has been flying the aircraft for more than five years.

The Australian crews will head home to their base at HMAS Albatross in Nowra with more of the choppers later this year for deployment on ANZAC (Australian New Zealand Army Corps) class frigates.

"It's a brand new aircraft. It smells like a brand new car. It's wonderful," said Eamonn O'Brien, one of the RAN's first crews to fly the aircraft.

Commander David Frost, who heads the RAN squadron in Jacksonville, said: "We know we're doing something special. We know we're making our mark in history."

New Seahawks close 'capability gap'

The aircraft are significantly more advanced than the older Bravo Seahawks they will replace, Commander Frost says.

"We pack a punch now using the Hellfire missile that we've never had before," he said.

"It's been a capability gap that we're now going to be able to fill with this aircraft.

"It's an aircraft that's jam-packed with sensors the likes of which we've never seen and the US Navy are still coming to grips with. It's an incredible aircraft."

Commander Frost says the helicopters will be carrying out an anti-submarine, surface warfare role for the RAN.

"We're looking at having eight helicopters out there supporting the fleet, operating from our surface," he said.

"These helicopters take in a new generation of warfare; a capability that's a quantum leap in anti-submarine warfare and anti-surface warfare."

Prior to the acquisition of the Romeo helicopters, the RAN had significant problems finding new helicopters capable of carrying missiles.

A fleet of Seasprites purchased by the Federal Government in 1997 were years late in delivery and plagued with expensive problems.

The helicopter's cockpits were too small for some pilots, and a number of software faults meant they were not safe to fly at night or in low visibility.

As the estimated losses topped $1 billion, the new Rudd government scrapped the program in 2008, deciding instead to buy the Romeos.