HOW THE HH-60W JOLLY GREEN II RESCUE HELICOPTER WILL SAVE MORE LIVES
The Air Force has just sent out a new helicopter for its first mission: the HH-60W Jolly Green II. The HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopter is not only a mouthful to say but is also equipped with some awesome new technology that’s designed for search-and-rescue missions and many other cool things. Keep reading to see how these new military search-and-rescue helicopters came to be, what new technology they have, and what the Air Force has planned for them. See more:The 5 Best Air Force Jobs for Airmen
The History of the HH-60W Jolly Green II
Many Vets may recognize the name “Jolly Green.” The “Jolly Green Giant” was the nickname given to the Sikorsky HH-3E during the Vietnam War. The Jolly Green Giants became famous as military search-and-rescue helicopters; they rescued many downed pilots during the Vietnam War. The nickname of these great Vietnam War helicopters was the inspiration for the naming of the new HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopters. The new helicopters were developed by a company owned by Lockheed Martin. The company, Sikorsky, has partnered with the Air Force for years. The Sikorsky HH-60W Jolly Green II is expected to “take our intrepid Airmen into the future.”
New Technology
These new Jolly Green helicopters have some sick technology that'll bring the Air Force up-to-date with their search-and-rescue missions. In the past, HH-60G pilots had to carry a Panasonic Toughbook with them on board for their moving map, and they had to translate the onboard aircraft systems data onto a paper map, which they also had to carry with them. But with the Jolly Green II, all that information is already integrated into the aircraft, making rescue missions quicker and more efficient. Additionally, the Jolly Green II can hold twice as much fuel as the old Pave Hawk helicopters. There are also better defense sensors and systems with this new aircraft, and it has better navigational tools. The navigational tool, called the flight director, is expected to help pilots with the more difficult parts of flying, such as hovering. Pilots of the new HH-60Ws can also tell the aircraft to move in a certain direction or maintain a hover. Essentially, this new tool can help the aircraft fly itself, which will aid significantly in combat search-and-rescue missions. See more:How SERE Training Can Apply to Civilian Life
The Purpose of the HH-60W Jolly Green II
The ultimate goal for the HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopters is to replace the Air Force’s existing (and aging) fleet of HH-60G Pave Hawks. The old Pave Hawks have reportedly been experiencing issues for years; Air Force Captain Chris Allen described how they would send the helicopters off to maintenance, then get them back, then discover a new issue, then send them back, and so on and so forth. These new HH-60W helicopters are meant to stop this hot-potato toss between the helicopter crew and the maintenance crew. The HH-60G helicopters have also exceeded their 7,000-hour flight time lifespan, so the HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopters are expected to be more successful than the HH-60G helicopters because of their newness (both in age and technology). Initially, the Air Force was planning on purchasing around 113 of these new helicopters. However, when the 2023 fiscal year budget came out, it showed that the service had set aside only enough money for 75 of them to replace the 99 old HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters.
Mock Battles
Moody Hill Air Force Base was also able to conduct a mock battle with an HH-60W Jolly Green II and a Mi-24 Hind. Hinds are popular helicopters throughout the world, so this mock battle proved beneficial to the Air Force. The Airmen got to see how the Jolly Green II flies and how it stacks up against an enemy helicopter.
Search and Rescue
Back in early September 2022, some Airmen at Moody Air Force Base were able to put the HH-60W Jolly Green II’s search-and-rescue capabilities to the test. The rescue squad was requested to move a patient from a Georgia hospital near Moody Air Force Base to a hospital in Tampa, Florida. Even though the aircraft had just returned from a long flight, the airmen were still eager to answer the call and successfully transported the patient from Georgia to Florida.
Current Mission
Shortly after the Jolly Green II flew from Georgia to Florida, the aircraft was approved for basic combat missions while the rest of the fleet continues to grow. The Air Force has not released anything about where the aircraft has been deployed or how long the deployment is. The new fleet of military search-and-rescue helicopters is filled with the beautiful HH-60W Jolly Green II. These new aircraft are equipped with some fantastic new technology that’s already proven to be a great benefit to the Air Force and those in need of help. Suggested read:The Army’s Plan To Modernize the Apache Helicopter Remains Uncertain
Image: Samuel King Jr.