H 60'

HCS-4 at Norfolk, VA during January of 1990. Eighteen aircraft have been purchased by the Navy with another twenty-four expected.

The primary mission of the HH-60H is combat strike rescue and special warfare support. Current Navy strike rescue doctrine calls for the extraction of downed aviators under all weather conditions while avoiding enemy threats. With this in mind. the HCS has been equipped with an IR jamming system, chaff/flare dispensers, radar warning receivers and an HIRSS. The aircraft carries a radar altimeter. Doppler radar, multifunction cockpit video displays and night vision goggle compatible lighting to help to insure mission completion under most weather conditions. The aircraft is armed with two M60D machinę guns on pintle mounts in the cabin and has provision for weapons pylons on either side of the fuselage.

In the strike rescue role, the HH-60H can recover four downed aviators within a 250 nautical mile radius of the carrier, while in the special warfare support role, eight SEALS may be airdropped within a 200 nautical mile radius. The aircraft can operate from a number of different platforms incluing: frigates (FFG-7 Class). destroyers (DD-963 Class) and cruisers (CG-47 Class) as well as unprepared sites ashore. The HH-60H equips two squadrons: HCS-4 at Norfolk and HCS-5 at Point Magu, CA.

The Navy plans to equip the SH-60B Seahawk to carry and tire the AGM-119 Penguin Mk 2 Mod 7 infrared homing anti-ship cruise missile for the anti-ship role. This SH-60B is also carrying a training dummy Mk 46 anti-submarine torpedo on the fuselage pylon. (Navy)

This SH-60B Seahawk of Light Anti-Submarine Helicopter Squadron Forty (HSL-40) is based in Mayport, Florida. HSL-40 is a Replacement Air Group that trains aircrews for operational fleet SH-60B sguadrons. (Navy)

Fuselage Deve!opment

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