A Signature Visit for the Combat Rescue Helicopter
Sikorsky Director of Army and Air Force Programs Greg Hames watches U.S. Air Force Major General Denise Donnell, Assistant Adjutant General and Commander of the New York Air National Guard, sign HH-60W aircraft #53. This will be the first HH-60W delivered to the New York Air National Guard. Photo courtesy Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company.
The team enjoyed a tour of Sikorsky’s digital factory where they saw the full build and test process for the HH-60W. The squadron’s primary mission is to conduct day or night personnel recovery operations into hostile, isolated environments. They also perform additional operations, including search and rescue, medical evacuation, disaster response, humanitarian assistance, security cooperation and aviation advisory, NASA space flight support, and rescue command and control.
“I think this visit was extremely beneficial on both ends because Sikorsky was able to hear from us, the end user. And for us, it was important to come up and see a lot of the safety and quality that goes into the building of these aircraft,” said Command Chief Master Sergeant Edward Rittberg, 106th Rescue Wing senior enlisted leader. “We were able to see the first aircraft that is going to be delivered to us while it is in production, which is a unique and great experience for us,” he said.
U.S. Air Force members of the New York Air National Guard pose in front of HH-60W aircraft #53 – destined to be their first Combat Rescue Helicopter – while on a tour of Sikorsky’s Stratford headquarters and digital factor. Photo courtesy Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company.
“It is an absolute privilege to provide these aviators with the only dedicated Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) helicopter in the Department of Defense to support their critical lifesaving missions,” said Greg Hames, director of Army and Air Force programs. “At Sikorsky, we are committed to building the most capable platforms to meet the CSAR mission requirements and support operations in a 21st Century Security environment.”
The all new HH-60W has an increased main fuel tank allowing for a larger main cabin, an Advanced Radar Warning Receiver and integrated survivability and defensive systems, net-centric connectivity, upgraded armor and ballistic protection, a fully integrated glass cockpit with three rear cabin displays, six communications radios, and Upgraded Electro-Optical/Infrared Sensor with laser range-finding and laser illuminator.
U.S. Air Force Major General Denise Donnell, Assistant Adjutant General and Commander of the New York Air National Guard, and Colonel Jeff Cannet, 106th Rescue Wing Operations Group Commander, sit in the cockpit of an HH-60W flight simulator developed by Lockheed Martin. Photo courtesy Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company.