The Air Force’s Latest Rescue Helicopter Achieves Unprecedented Range

In the world of military aviation, the HH-60W, the US Air Force’s latest helicopter, starkly contrasts many warbirds. While traditional war helicopters are armed to the teeth with rockets and missiles, the HH-60W is equipped with only a pair of .50-caliber machine guns—a small but crucial defensive measure.

The reason for this lies in its primary mission: saving lives instead of taking them. This chopper serves as a flying ambulance, designed for medical evacuations in combat zones, where it retrieves the injured and transports them to safety. 

Instead of allocating precious cargo space for weaponry, it carries additional fuel, configurable stretchers, and a hoist for rescuing wounded soldiers from areas where landing is impossible.

Enhancements in the Combat Rescue Helicopter (HH-60W)

As the Air Force refers to it, the new Combat Rescue Helicopter has many improvements over its predecessor, the HH-60 Pave Hawk. These enhancements include an increased operational range and improved self-defense capabilities. 

Additionally, it features advanced mission-planning hardware that enables more efficient coordination of rescue efforts. Crew members in the back of the helicopter are equipped with multifunction displays, allowing them to access critical data and infrared arrays, reducing the burden on the pilots.

The HH-60W also boasts newly designed seats in the rear cabin, which can be swiveled to face various directions, including the multifunction displays, the patients on stretchers, or the window-mounted machine guns. 

The seats are easily collapsible and stowable at the ceiling, creating more space. Stretchers can be stacked and configured to optimize patient care. A standard crew includes two pilots in the front, a flight engineer, and a paramedic in the back, with room for several litters.

Extended Range and Enhanced Capabilities

One of the most significant improvements is the helicopter’s nearly doubled fuel capacity, achieved by replacing the bulky auxiliary tanks of the Pave Hawk with a new tank behind the cabin.

This change extends flight time from approximately two and a half hours to five hours without affecting the helicopter’s balance. The added range enables the HH-60W to reach combat zones previously inaccessible to the Pave Hawk, a crucial advantage as modern warfare evolves.

The HH-60W also incorporates a Tactical Mission Kit featuring advanced detection and defensive systems, cyberattack resilience, improved connectivity with other networks, enhanced optical and infrared cameras, and the capability to detect missiles and rockets. 

Weapon mounts, ammunition storage, and armor plating have also been upgraded, while new seats provide better protection against ground impacts.

The Path to Deployment and Future Challenges

Development of the Combat Rescue Helicopter began in 2012, with its maiden flight in May. The US Air Force awarded a $1.3 billion contract to Sikorsky and its parent company, Lockheed Martin, for its development. 

Despite earlier challenges and delays, the helicopter is now undergoing flight tests in West Palm Beach. Production will begin shortly, possibly entering service as early as next year. The Air Force plans to order 112 HH-60W helicopters by 2029.

However, new challenges emerge as the military landscape continues to change rapidly. There are concerns among Air Force and industry engineers that, despite reduced vulnerability, no conventional helicopter can guarantee successful battlefield rescues in the face of evolving enemy tactics and more advanced weaponry. 

The Air Force is exploring using electric air vehicles that can be deployed rapidly with a paramedic on board to address this. These autonomous vehicles could transport both patients and paramedics out of immediate danger. 

While this technology is still in development, the introduction of the HH-60W represents a significant step towards improving the chances of successful rescues in hazardous situations.

Read the original article on WIRED.

Read more: The US Military Plans to Use Thousands of Autonomous Combat Drones Against China.