Three U.S. Navy HH-60H Seahawk helicopters will temporarily train here starting Oct. 11. The HH-60H airframe is similar to the HH-60G Pave Hawk, which is stationed in Tucson.
The HH-60Hs are coming from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 85 out of Naval Air Station North Island, San Diego, California.
The HH-60H crews will be participating in joint training with A-10 Thunderbolt squadrons and Combat Search and Rescue units here. The training scenarios will take place in southern Arizona’s many military training ranges and will give the units a chance to test their skills and strengthen joint operations between the military services.
The HH-60Hs are slated to train here until Oct 30.
The Seahawk is a twin-engine helicopter. It is used for anti-submarine warfare, search and rescue, drug interdiction, anti-ship warfare, cargo lift, and special operations. The Navy’s SH-60B Seahawk is an airborne platform based aboard cruisers, destroyers, and frigates, and it deploys sonobuoys (sonic detectors) and torpedoes in an anti-submarine role. They also extend the range of the ship’s radar capabilities.
The Navy’s SH-60F is carrier-based. The HH-60H, also aboard carriers and ashore, is used for search and rescue (SAR) missions. By 2015, the only models of Seahawk in the Navy will be the MH-60S and the MH-60R. Some versions, such as the Air Force’s MH-60 G Pave Hawk and the Coast Guard’s HH-60J Jayhawk, are equipped with a rescue hoist with a 250 foot (75 meter) cable that has a 600 pound (270 kg) lift capability, and a retractable in-flight refueling probe.
The Army’s UH-60L Black Hawk can carry 11 soldiers or 2,600 pounds (1,170 kg) of cargo or sling load 9,000 pounds (4,050 kg) of cargo.