WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Power’s new fight rescue helicopter, the HH-60W Jolly Inexperienced II, has moved into its operational check part at Nellis Air Power Base in Nevada.
In a Wednesday launch, the Air Power stated the final HH-60W left Eglin Air Power Base’s Duke Discipline in Florida on March 22, wrapping up its preliminary developmental check with the 413th Flight Check Squadron.
The helicopter’s preliminary operational check and analysis part might be carried out by the 88th Check and Analysis Squadron at Nellis, which focuses on fight search and rescue capabilities.
The Sikorsky-built HH-60W, which is a by-product of the Military’s H-60M Black Hawk, is the successor to the Air Power’s growing older HH-60G Pave Hawk.
The announcement of the Jolly Inexperienced II’s subsequent testing part got here days after the Air Power revealed it desires to chop its whole order of the helicopter by one-third, to 75.
Air Power Secretary Frank Kendall stated in a fiscal 2023 funds briefing that the service modified course as a part of the shift in focus to a high-end struggle in opposition to China or Russia, during which airspace can be extremely contested. When the Air Power made its authentic plan to purchase 113 Jolly Inexperienced IIs at a price of virtually $7.6 billion, the service was targeted on counterinsurgency-style conflicts during which the U.S. loved nearly uncontested airspace.
Darlene Costello, the Air Power’s principal deputy assistant secretary for acquisition, expertise and logistics, instructed reporters at a convention in Orlando on March 4 that the HH-60W was on observe to begin the operational testing part this month.
Costello stated on the Air Power Affiliation’s Air Warfare Symposium that the helicopter had already completed greater than 40% of its check and analysis efforts, and that its weapons had been licensed. The final step earlier than the preliminary operational check and analysis part may start, she stated, was a check of its radar warning receivers.
The check pilots within the 88th will begin by taking the helicopter, additionally nicknamed the Whiskey, for proficiency-building flights to higher perceive what it will possibly do. As soon as they’re extra acquainted with it, the squadron can begin creating ways that can take essentially the most benefit of its capabilities.
The commander of 88th, Lt. Col. Keith Craine, stated the squadron will focus most on creating ways, methods and procedures for the Jolly Inexperienced II’s digital integration capabilities, which he known as certainly one of helicopter’s most necessary new options. “It permits us to extra successfully use the capabilities of different U.S. Air Power property to gather data on remoted personnel and penetrate extra heavily-defended areas,” Craine stated within the launch.
The HH-60W’s first operational check occasion would be the large-scale Black Flag train at Nellis, the Air Power stated. At that occasion, the service will observe how effectively the Whiskey integrates with the fight plane it helps.
Lt. Col. Andy Burns, the 413th’s operations officer, stated within the launch that the helicopter’s departure from Duke Discipline “is a big milestone for the [squadron] and your entire fight rescue helicopter program.”
“Whereas it’s bittersweet to see the helicopter depart, I’m actually excited to see the HH-60W program transition to the Fight Search and Rescue Mixed Check Power for the following part in its improvement,” Burns stated.
The Air Power plans to purchase its final 10 HH-60Ws in 2023 beneath the funds request launched Monday. The primary 17 of the helicopters have been delivered to the Air Power to date.
Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter at Protection Information. He beforehand reported for Navy.com, protecting the Pentagon, particular operations and air warfare. Earlier than that, he coated U.S. Air Power management, personnel and operations for Air Power Occasions.