Sikorsky Pushing for Early Combat Rescue Helicopter Production Decision, Deliveries
Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org
The first Sikorsky HH-60W Combat Rescue Helicopter as it enters final assembly at Stratford, Conn., in February. Sikorsky photo
The pilots enjoy increased ballistic protection by way of thicker armor. The armor plating in the Pave Hawk only protects from standard 7.62 mm ball ammunition but the W model will add protection from 7.62 mm armor-piercing rounds.
Versus the Pave Hawk, the W model has a “more elegant” side-gun mounting design. They won’t stick out as far from the aircraft and will be able to universally accept GAU-2, GAU-18, and GAU-21 guns, Healy said.
Special mission aviators and pararescuemen will be able to see mission data in the back of the aircraft, where three full-color displays are mounted. For the first time, pararescuemen will have crash-worthy seats, which can be folded up to the ceiling of the cabin. In the Pave Hawk, PJs sit on the cabin floor and take their chances.
Sikorsky is under contract for 39 training “devices,” which will include full-motion simulators for the pilots and special mission aviators. Additionally, there are operational flight trainers and part-task trainers focused on systems such as landing gear and hoists. Sikorsky is also developing maintenance system trainers for crew chiefs to work on at the Fort Eustis, Va. schoolhouse.
Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org
Related Content
The Pentagon’s new counter-drone task force will play a direct role in arming Airmen with new weapons to defend Air Force agile combat employment, or ACE, air bases in austere locations against enemy drone attacks, the director of Joint Interagency Task Force 401 said Oct. 14.
When Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth canceled the Air Force’s Cloud One Next contract earlier this year, he declared it would save taxpayers $1.4 billion—the maximum billings under the contract. But current and former Air Force personnel who are familiar with Cloud One say it’s not as simple as that.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's recent direction that the military services return to a more old-school approach to basic training—with instructors "tossing bunks" and "putting their hands on recruits”—will likely require the Air Force to rewrite policies for military training instructors it has modified over time to cut down on such…
Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force David A. Flosi is retiring following the unexpected death of his wife Katy last month, he announced in an email to the force Oct. 13.
Air Force Chief of Staff nominee Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach said he'll give special attention to coordinating with the Navy on buys of new weapons.
The first flight of the Air Force’s YFQ-44 collaborative combat aircraft, which is being developed by Anduril Industries, will likely be delayed because of the ongoing government shutdown, the company’s founder said.
The Senate passed its version of the 2026 National Defense Authorization bill late Oct. 9 with new language restricting retirements for B-1 bombers and E-3 AWACS. Now lawmakers from the House and Senate must set about resolving the differences between their two bills, which could lead to significant changes for…
Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach, nominee to be the next Air Force Chief of Staff, voiced support for reducing the number of PCS moves Airmen and their families have to make, arguing it could improve retention.
Strikes at Boeing will delay deliveries of the F-15EX, Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach said before his Oct. 9 confirmation hearing. He also referred several times to the jet carrying hypersonic missiles and "very long range" weapons, indicating a rising mission for the jet.
