MH-53E Deployment life vs MH-60R and S

[Gatordev]

So HSM does more then?

I'd argue they do more, but at the same time, HSC has several mission areas that are just different than HSM. That's not good or bad, it's just how the two communities share the load.

I've said this before here, and I have no idea when or if it might happen, but I'd argue that HSM is the future (until the next great thing...Future Vertical Lift). That doesn't mean the -60S goes away, but that if we're going to continue to cut costs, eventually we have a potential to just put Sierras into already existing HSM squadrons and save some money. This is very similar to the old HS model. Will it happen? I don't know, I'm just saying it wouldn't surprise me if it went that direction.

 

[Juwon Brunson]

I'd argue they do more, but at the same time, HSC has several mission areas that are just different than HSM. That's not good or bad, it's just how the two communities share the load.

I've said this before here, and I have no idea when or if it might happen, but I'd argue that HSM is the future (until the next great thing...Future Vertical Lift). That doesn't mean the -60S goes away, but that if we're going to continue to cut costs, eventually we have a potential to just put Sierras into already existing HSM squadrons and save some money. This is very similar to the old HS model. Will it happen? I don't know, I'm just saying it wouldn't surprise me if it went that direction.

Guessing that your HSM whats the huge difference or any difference between the two honestly its always confused me over what Maritime combat and Combat are different in. Does one just hold the title of getting to deploy soldiers in.

 

[Gatordev]

It's actually Maritime Strike versus Sea Combat. I have no idea where HSC came up with the name. Maybe it sounded cooler. That said, HSC does Strike missions, just like HSM, so sometimes the name is just a name.

What's the huge difference? Toys on the aircraft and mission sets. HSM can't do overland SOF support (But HSM and HSL has been doing over-water SOF support for years). The Romeo is just not equipped to go overland when bad people are there. Otherwise, it can do everything that HSC does, plus other mission sets. HOWEVER, that doesn't mean it can do all of them as well as HSC. A Sierra is going to do Logistics/VERTREP faster and better than a Romeo, for many reasons.

Seriously though, a lot of this stuff starts becoming cart before the horse.

 

[wink]

Juwon could be trolling for me. The helo community has confused me since HSL went away and -60s came aboard the CVN. I am trying to catch up.

 

[Juwon Brunson]

Juwon could be trolling for me. The helo community has confused me since HSL went away and -60s came aboard the CVN. I am trying to catch up.

What a very confusing community lol.

 

[Pags]

It's actually Maritime Strike versus Sea Combat. I have no idea where HSC came up with the name. Maybe it sounded cooler. That said, HSC does Strike missions, just like HSM, so sometimes the name is just a name.

What's the huge difference? Toys on the aircraft and mission sets. HSM can't do overland SOF support (But HSM and HSL has been doing over-water SOF support for years). The Romeo is just not equipped to go overland when bad people are there. Otherwise, it can do everything that HSC does, plus other mission sets. HOWEVER, that doesn't mean it can do all of them as well as HSC. A Sierra is going to do Logistics/VERTREP faster and better than a Romeo, for many reasons.

Seriously though, a lot of this stuff starts becoming cart before the horse.

Sea Combat used to be a mission qual. When the rewrote the SWTP it became SUW or ASUW.

 

[Juwon Brunson]

It's actually Maritime Strike versus Sea Combat. I have no idea where HSC came up with the name. Maybe it sounded cooler. That said, HSC does Strike missions, just like HSM, so sometimes the name is just a name.

What's the huge difference? Toys on the aircraft and mission sets. HSM can't do overland SOF support (But HSM and HSL has been doing over-water SOF support for years). The Romeo is just not equipped to go overland when bad people are there. Otherwise, it can do everything that HSC does, plus other mission sets. HOWEVER, that doesn't mean it can do all of them as well as HSC. A Sierra is going to do Logistics/VERTREP faster and better than a Romeo, for many reasons.

Seriously though, a lot of this stuff starts becoming cart before the horse.

Another question do you know how often they actually get to go on land rather than just training for it?

 

[Pags]

In a setup like that, how do the crewman get in? Slither through the waist windows? Or can you step "over" the center console from the cockpit?
.

Gunners windows.

 

[rotorhead1871]

I would love to see the NAVY buy the 53K.king stallion, it will have superb capability, and it will be NEW!..

 

[croakerfish]

Im guessing I was led to believe that HSC was a pretty cool path and im taking a guess that its actually the opposite lol.

Everyone's kind of beating around the bush but what they're saying is that some people in HSC like to imagine that we are very combat-focused and in high demand from spec ops to do real-world stuff. The reality is the Navy currently uses us primarily to do logistics missions and Search and Rescue around the boat. In my opinion this is the best kind of helicopter flying there is.

If you go HSC you will do lots of training flights overland practicing stuff like covert insertion of troops, Close Air Support, Combat SAR, and so on. You will do lots of training missions for SEALs etc. Fastroping, parachute jumps, etc etc. It's often really fun but as with anything that has strict requirements and a grading system behind it, it also has parts that are less fun. The odds of you doing a no-shit combat overland SOF mission in a regular fleet HSC squadron are...slim. You will probably get to shoot one Hellfire in your first tour, at a target in the water most likely.

When you deploy, whether you go to a squadron based on a carrier or an expeditionary detachment based on some flavor of smaller ship, you'll do some really boring flights (i.e. Plane Guard, where you fly around waiting for a jet pilot to eject so you can go save him/her) and some unbelievably awesome flying (i.e. VERTREP, which is the most fun you'll ever have with your dick in your pants).
If you are one of the privileged few to be part of a crew that uses your helo to save someone from certain death, I doubt you'll have any regrets about your chosen path. My Sikorsky Rescue patch is one of my most prized possessions.

Long story short, as far as dynamic, engaging and pure stick-and-rudder flying goes, you can't beat HSC. You'll do a very wide variety of missions, you can save lives, fight wildfires, and really push the limits of the bird doing awesome stuff like VERTREP. Sure, as a community of professionals we don't really have our shit together like HSM, but who really cares. I became a Navy helo pilot to do cool stuff, go cool places and meet cool people. HSC has delivered in spades.

 

[Juwon Brunson]

Everyone's kind of beating around the bush but what they're saying is that some people in HSC like to imagine that we are very combat-focused and in high demand from spec ops to do real-world stuff. The reality is the Navy currently uses us primarily to do logistics missions and Search and Rescue around the boat. In my opinion this is the best kind of helicopter flying there is.

If you go HSC you will do lots of training flights overland practicing stuff like covert insertion of troops, Close Air Support, Combat SAR, and so on. You will do lots of training missions for SEALs etc. Fastroping, parachute jumps, etc etc. It's often really fun but as with anything that has strict requirements and a grading system behind it, it also has parts that are less fun. The odds of you doing a no-shit combat overland SOF mission in a regular fleet HSC squadron are...slim. You will probably get to shoot one Hellfire in your first tour, at a target in the water most likely.

When you deploy, whether you go to a squadron based on a carrier or an expeditionary detachment based on some flavor of smaller ship, you'll do some really boring flights (i.e. Plane Guard, where you fly around waiting for a jet pilot to eject so you can go save him/her) and some unbelievably awesome flying (i.e. VERTREP, which is the most fun you'll ever have with your dick in your pants).
If you are one of the privileged few to be part of a crew that uses your helo to save someone from certain death, I doubt you'll have any regrets about your chosen path. My Sikorsky Rescue patch is one of my most prized possessions.

Long story short, as far as dynamic, engaging and pure stick-and-rudder flying goes, you can't beat HSC. You'll do a very wide variety of missions, you can save lives, fight wildfires, and really push the limits of the bird doing awesome stuff like VERTREP. Sure, as a community of professionals we don't really have our shit together like HSM, but who really cares. I became a Navy helo pilot to do cool stuff, go cool places and meet cool people. HSC has delivered in spades.

Thanks for giving me the reality of HSC man. What do you see as the future of HSC? By time I get in itll be probably 5-6 years with training and all that until I really get in the Navy.

 

[Gatordev]

Gunners windows.

That was the word I was looking for. But "waist turrets" sounds way cooler.

 

[Jim123]

That was the word I was looking for. But "waist turrets" sounds way cooler.

Can anyone tell me if that is a ball turret under the nose of the 60B/R? Or maybe it is where the bombardier goes?


(Feel free to try that line at an airshow.)

 

[Gatordev]

Can anyone tell me if that is a ball turret under the nose of the 60B/R? Or maybe it is where the bombardier goes?

I believe that's where the guy sits that shoots the two machine guns that come out of the nose.

And because we're already off topic...at an airshow, we explained what the "machine guns" were used for. To illustrate the point, one of the AWs told her to blow the helo. Naturally someone had a camera handy.

 

[wink]

THIS, is a proper nose turret. Three "machine guns". Not a manned turret, but a gunner.