This story has been up to date to appropriate sort of helicopter HSC-14 operates. The squadron operates the MH-60S Sea Hawk.
U.S. Navy Helicopter and CMV-22B Osprey squadrons not too long ago drilled on prolonged search and rescue efforts throughout the Alaskan water house as a part of train Northern Edge, difficult the ocean service’s skill to find and rescue downed crew from frigid waters within the austere Arctic setting.
The “Chargers” of Helicopter Sea Fight Squadron (HSC) 14 established and operated from an expeditionary superior base (EAB) in Dutch Harbor, Alaska, offering prolonged SAR protection in help of maritime strike situations over the Gulf of Alaska. The squadron, which operates the MH-60S Sea Hawk, is a part of the Abraham Lincoln Service Strike Group however exercised from the prolonged base from Aug. 17-22, in line with a information launch from flagship service USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72).
“With the acute distance, we realized months in the past that it was going to be essential to have search and rescue protection properly exterior what HSC-14 might present from the plane service,” Cmdr. Robin Dirickson, commanding officer of HSC-14, mentioned within the launch. “We recognized a number of places the place we’d be capable to ahead stage our helicopters to make sure that within the occasion something occurred to any of the fastened wing plane, our helicopters had been correctly positioned to verify they acquired out of the water rapidly.”
The hassle was additionally supported by the “Titans” of Fleet Logistics Multi-Mission Squadron (VRM) 30, the U. S. Navy’s first CMV-22B Osprey squadron. The vertical takeoff and touchdown (VTOL) tilt-rotor plane had been integral to the expanded search and rescue train, the Navy mentioned.
Throughout a simulated medical emergency, HSC-14 rescued a mock affected person and transferred the affected person to an Osprey because the Osprey concurrently refueled the HSC-14 helicopter. The drill, the Navy mentioned, demonstrated the profitable execution of a full rescue and medical evacuation sequence and allowed the crews to validate new ways, strategies, and procedures.
The Ospreys additionally refueled HSC-14 helicopters staged in distant places all through the Aleutian Island Chain.
“This was proof that the service strike group might execute this occasion organically with our personal property, a giant win, particularly the interoperability between Fleet Logistics Multi-Mission Squadron (VRM) 30’s CMV-22B Osprey and actually fleshing out the ways, strategies and procedures for this EAB operation,” mentioned Lt. Anthony Vidal, HSC-14’s weapons and ways teacher and the assistant officer in command of the EABO evolution. “Ospreys can carry sufficient gasoline to satisfy us at an austere location the place we are able to hyperlink up, get fuel, after which we are able to proceed on, form of like a pit cease alongside the island chain.”
Throughout the train, HSC-14 additionally collaborated carefully with the U.S. Air Drive, U.S. Coast Guard, and Naval Aviation Warfighting Improvement Middle personnel restoration specialists to coordinate SAR protection.
HSC-14 was working disaggregated from the Abraham Lincoln CSG, which was underway close by round Alaska and the North Pacific Ocean as a part of the Indo-Pacific Command-led Train Northern Edge. The Abraham Lincoln CSG included service Abraham Lincoln with embarked Service Air Wing (CVW) 9 and destroyers USS O’Kane (DDG-77), USS Michael Murphy (DDG-112), and USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG 121).
CVW-9 included HSC-14’s “Chargers,” the “Black Knights” of Marine Fighter Assault Squadron (VMFA) 314 flying F-35C Lightning II fighters, the “Tophatters” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 14, the “Black Aces” of VFA-41, the “Vigilantes” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 151, the “Wizards” of Digital Assault Squadron (VAQ) 133, the “Wallbangers” of Service Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 117 and the “Raptors” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 71.
“I’m extremely pleased with the Abraham Lincoln crew and their efficiency all through Northern Edge,” Capt. Daniel Keeler, commanding officer of Abraham Lincoln, mentioned in a information launch. “This has been a demanding however extremely rewarding alternative.”
The strike group operated alongside the joint drive and Canadian allies to conduct long-range maritime strikes and function in an expeditionary forward-deployed method. Service Air Wing 9 particularly carried out defensive counter-air, maritime strike missions and expeditionary superior base operations throughout the Alaskan water house and the Aleutian Islands. The air wing logged greater than 3,000 flight hours and launched 1,100 sorties in help of train necessities, in line with the discharge.
“The professionalism and flexibility of our crew proved as soon as once more that this air wing is able to ship fight energy anytime, anyplace, regardless of how contested the setting,” Capt. William “Tank” Frank, commander of CVW-9, mentioned within the information launch. “The numerous hours of tactical flying don’t mirror the entire mission planning, plane upkeep, and preparation our aviators and maintainers put ahead to perform our targets. The Naval Aviation crew continues to set the usual for responsiveness and warfighting excellence.”
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