Navy Helo Combat Question

[BRM21o]

Do Navy helo's go out to a forward operating location and do ground missions like the Marines or do they usually stay on the boat? I saw a picture of a Navy helo over Baghdad and was wondering if they do a lot of land missions (combat insertion, CAS) or mainly focus on resupplying/protecting the fleet?
With the integration of Navy and USMC TacAir do you think Navy helo's will start doing more Marine support missions?

 

[skidkid]

Navy helos insert SEALS and provide some fire support to them but they do not fly CAS missions in support of Marines. As yet they really dont train for that mission and arent really equipted for it. I dont think they will focus on CAS, they have enough work with the smallboat threat and ASW.

 

[lowflier03]

The HSL community at least carries weapons. They are trained to fire the Penguin, Hellfire, torpedoes and some other ordinance. There is also talk of 60's carrying .50cals for taking out small boats. Currently they focus on the small boat threat and being the foward eyes of the DESGRU Commander with their data link capabilities. I dont know about actual air-to-ground combat...Navy helos stay to the sea when they arent inserting teams. This is only from my experiences talking to helo pilots and with the HSL squadron I was with for a bit though.

 

[zab1001]

Last I heard, there are like 5 Penguin missiles left in the inventory, anybody know anything more?

 

[skidkid]

HSL guys I know hate the Penguin especially now that the blast frag hellfire is online

 

[Q-ball]

We worked with som HC guys during some raid training. We used the FLIR on the 60 sierra to ID threats on boats from long range.

 

[46Driver]

I personally think you are going to see the Navy helo community move closer and begin to integrate with the Marine helos, much like the Marine F-18's now are interchangeable in the Navy CAGS. The big buzzword is "Inter-operability." Until the V-22 comes on line, the Navy H-60's will have solid capabilities ion lift, communications relay, targeting, and gunships if need be.

 

[skidkid]

What I saw on the first ESG (worst six months of my life) was more in the other direction. The ACE was used to go look for surface contacts and even submarines?!?!?! While there was very reciprocation for the green side with the exception of a little FLIR recce. Granted we were in a very bad place as far ac command relationships but I think the 60 community is pretty busy right now to be taking on any additional missions