Sikorsky HH-60 / MH-60T Jayhawk

History of the Sikorsky HH-60 / MH-60T Jayhawk

The U.S. Coast Guard HH-60 Eagle is based on Sikorsky's highly successful S-70 rotorcraft lineup, which also includes the U.S. Army's ubiquitous UH-60 Black Hawk and SH -60 "Seahawk" transport helicopter. Classified as a "medium-range recovery platform," the HH-60 has more in common with the Navy-oriented SH-60 than the battlefield-oriented UH-60 due to its inherent maritime capabilities. This helicopter is destined to serve most of its useful life in harsh seas and long distances, requiring a level of ruggedness, reliability and robustness not found in commercial helicopter types.

At the time of writing, HH-60s are used by at least eight USCG flight groups that travel from coast to coast to bases foundfrom Alaska, Oregon, and California to Massachusetts, North Carolina, and Alabama.

The intended role of the HH-60 in the USCG is to undertake various types of missions, whether military, civilian or humanitarian in nature, including the execution of U.S. and global maritime law and search and rescue (SAR) operations. Such U.S.

Coast Guard units may also be responsible for anti-drug operations launched from locations in Latin and South America attempting to enter the United States by sea. USCG HH-60 helicopters can be launched from land bases or USCG vessels approved to accept and launch rotorcraft.

External fuel storage helps further increase its operating range and residence time over target.

Work on the new USCG mount began in 1986 and culminated in the first flight recorded on August 8, 1989. Because the U.S. military already has extensive experience operating Sikorsky helicopters, Sikorsky aircraft naturally became the contractor. Modifying an existing model - in this case the SH-60 - enables the USCG to procure new mounts on an economical and logistical basis. The new helicopter, named the HH-60J Jayhawk, officially joined the USCG inventory in June 1990, replacing the aging HH-3 Pelican and CH-3 Sea King helicopters in service at the time. Production ended after 42 airframes were delivered at a unit cost of $17 million each.

Since then, there have been only two major variants of the HH-60, the original production model "HH-60J" and the follow-up model "MH-60T". The HH-60J was delivered to the U.S. Coast Guard between 1990 and 1996, while the MH-60T evolved from these existing airframes, although official armor and modernization upgrade systems made them more effective platform. The MH-60T program began in 2007 and is expected to begin in 2015.

At this point, the original HH-60J designation will be removed from the USCG nomenclature, as all 42 existing models are scheduled to be upgraded to the MH-60T standard.

Unlike the HH-60J, however, the MH-60T upgrade also has a 1 x 7.62mm M240H general purpose machine gun mounted on the starboard hatch. The crew also has access to the 1 x 12.7mm (0.50 caliber) Barrett Heavy Sniper Rifle, a large-caliber weapon capable of semi-automatic bursts of fire with armor penetration.

Both weapons are capable of deterring warring ships when needed, and provide a force similar to that of Coast Guard platforms not typically available. The MH-60T retrofit also provides the existing HH-60 airframe with a modernized "all-digital" cockpit and additional sensors and systems with greater power, flexibility and capability.

Externally, the Jayhawk mimics the design of other S-70 helicopter types in service, with a forward-facing two-person cockpit and mid-crew compartment. The cockpit is accessible through the main cabin or through two automotive-style gullwing doors on either side of the cockpit. External visibility is critical for operations involving the HH-60 and the cockpit, hence the large windows and forward viewports along the bottom of the cockpit.

The cabin has large sliding doors for easy access for crew or rescued persons. The twin-engine unit was mounted on a conventional fuselage, driving a four-blade main rotor mounted on a short swivel pylon and a four-blade tail rotor deflected to the starboard side of the aircraft. The pronounced protrusion of the radar housing for search slightly spoils the design of the nose assembly, and the FLIR arrangement is optional. The tail was set fairly low on the fuselage, contoured from the bottom, and supported a vertical pylon that accommodated the tail rotor.

At the very end of the design, the horizontal plane connects to the bottom of the vertical tail. The landing gear is fixed (non-retractable) and consists of an "inverted tricycle" layout with two single-wheel main gear legs and a two-wheel rear gear leg for three-point standing.

The rescue winch system required to retrieve persons or debris from the water is mounted on the starboard side of the hull and is rated for up to 600 lbs. The hoist is connected to the aircraft through the bracket above the side door, which does not hinder the entry and exit. The HH-60 family usually consists of four people, including two pilots and two operational specialists responsible for the rescue.

There's no question that the crew must pull together to succeed - especially in life-threatening situations. The HH-60J/MH-60T helicopters are painted in the USCG's unique black, red and white scheme.

The HH-60J is equipped with two General Electric T700-GE-401C gasoline turbo engines, each producing up to 1,890 SHP. This gives the helicopter a top speed of 205 mph (lower when cruising) and a range of 800 miles. The HH-60 is rated for an upper operating limit of approximately 5,000 feet, as its general operation is likely to be at these lower levels. The aircraft is 64 feet 10 inches long and 17 feet high, with a full rotor diameter of 53 feet 8 inches.

Maximum takeoff weight is 21,884 pounds, nearly double the aircraft's empty weight of 14,500 pounds. Three external fuel tanks - two on port and one on starboard - can be mounted on either side of the fuselage, increasing the helicopter's inherent range.

Specification

Basic

Production

Roles

Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

Armor

Changes