Air Force Admits New HH-60Ws Rescue Helicopters Not “Particularly Helpful” In China Fight
The USAF is facing a huge problem of rescuing aircrews, especially those flying stealth aircraft, in very contested areas far from any bases.
BY
THOMAS NEWDICK, TYLER ROGOWAY
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PUBLISHED APR 28, 2023 11:25 AM EDT
Air Force Admits New HH-60Ws Rescue Helicopters Not “Particularly Helpful” In China Fight
U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Tristan McIntire
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THOMAS NEWDICK
The U.S. Air Force’s fleet of Sikorsky HH-60W Jolly Green II combat search and rescue (CSAR) helicopters will not be “particularly helpful in the Chinese area of operations,” one of the service’s top procurement officers has asserted. With planned HH-60W procurement already trimmed back, the Air Force is instead looking at “several” nontraditional options that would be able to recover downed aircrew from deep within contested environments, such as those that would be expected in any kind of major military confrontation with China.
This is a glaring and complex issue that The War Zone has been highlighting for years now, but this official admission, paired with recent procurement choices by the USAF, makes it clear that it is now becoming an undeniable truth within the DoD.
The latest details about the HH-60W and future plans for CSAR came to light yesterday, during a hearing on Air Force modernization by the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services' Subcommittee on Air-Land. The key question on the status of the HH-60W and future CSAR plans was raised by Richard Blumenthal, a Democratic Senator from Connecticut. This is the same state in which the Jolly Green II is built by Sikorsky. That historic firm is now part of the Lockheed Martin Corporation.
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/air-force-admits-new-hh-60ws-rescue-helicopters-not-particularly-helpful-in-china-fight
