Sikorsky® HH-60G PAVE HAWK™ – Combat Search and Rescue Helicopter

About the Sikorsky® HH-60G PAVE HAWK™ – Combat Search and Rescue Helicopter:

Helicopter search and rescue is a specialized mission deemed necessary by modern warfare. Downed pilots, wounded soldiers, and special operations assets are in constant need of quick extraction in hostile environments. Specific troops and equipment are needed to perform such operations. The United States Air Force’s (USAF) Sikorsky® HH-60G PAVE HAWK™ helicopter meets the required needs and demands of that mission. The USAF looked to the Sikorsky® UH-60 BLACK HAWK® line of helicopters to upgrade the older, but famed, HH-3E Jolly Green Giant of the Vietnam War as their primary Search and Rescue rotorcraft. The first variation of the PAVE HAWK™ helicopters entered service in the late 1980s. These early models were designated UH-60A. These differed slightly from the Army’s BLACK HAWK® helicopters which up-gunned to .50 caliber machine guns over the Army’s smaller .30 caliber M60. As the Air Force tested and utilized the BLACK HAWK® helicopter, the need for an upgraded electronics and communication suite was paramount. From that point, the Air Force committed to a two-step process of upgrading their fleet of UH-60 based helicopters. With change, the Air Force designated the updated craft as HH-60G PAVE HAWK™.

The PAVE—Precision Avionics Vectoring Equipment—aspect of the PAVE HAWK™ helicopter includes a series of advanced navigation and communication hardware that allows the helicopter to perform its duties under a variety of day/night operations in adverse or extreme weather conditions. Additionally, the rotors have anti-ice systems in place to further aid in operations in extreme weather. For low-light operations, the PAVE HAWK™ helicopter is fitted with a forward-looking infrared system (FLIR), while the pilots wear night vision goggles to assist in those operations. To extend missions, a refueling probe sits erect on the right side of the cockpit. For defensive measures, two crew-served 7.62mm or .50 caliber machine guns are equipped, along with a radar warning system, infrared jammer, and a chaff countermeasure dispensing system. For airborne rescues, a 600 lbs capacity rescue hoist sits above the right sliding door. For heavier lifting, an underslung frame mounted hook can bear up to 8,000 lbs.

The HH-60G is designed to carry the Air Force’s elite Pararescue Jumpers (PJs) anywhere in the world where American lives need rescue. These men are part of the larger Special Operations community and are made up of some of the finest combat medics in the world. Their first experiences with PAVE HAWK™ helicopters were during Operations Just Cause and Desert Storm. From there, PAVE HAWK™ helicopters and PJs have found continual work in the Middle East as that geographical sphere entered the international stage following 9/11. While the PAVE HAWK™ helicopter has flown countless operations in hotspots the world over, many have been used in humanitarian relief efforts following natural disasters. This includes places like New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, Japan after debilitating tsunamis, and Haiti after a 7.0 earthquake struck the island nation.