Stennis group heads out heavy on helicopters
By Andrew Tilghman - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Jan 27, 2009 14:24:45 EST
The West Coast-based carrier air wing that deployed earlier this month included more helicopters than ever.
When the John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group left Jan. 17, the Navy began testing a new air wing configuration that features two MH-60 Seahawk helicopter squadrons, rather than one.
Previously, carrier air wings typically deployed with 12 helicopters, which included a squadron and a small detachment, while a small command element remained back on the beach. The rotary-wing aircrafts’ missions were often limited to search-and-rescue and logistical missions.
The new wing configuration has two full squadrons for a total of about 19 aircraft, with their leadership aboard, all under the carrier air wing and strike group commander. These helicopters are heavily armed and will take over missions such as anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare and supporting SEALs or other special operations troops.
That signals a shift in naval aviation toward more reliance on rotary-wing aircraft, several aviation officers said.
“They don’t go Mach 3 like the Hornets, but they are mission-flexible,” said Capt. Thomas Criger, a staff officer with Naval Air Forces who has helped oversee the transition to the new helicopter programs.
The expanded mission stems in part from the Navy’s recent retirement of the S-3 Viking, which used to give the air wing its primary anti-submarine capability and then migrated toward midair refueling. Helicopters are taking over the sub-hunting mission.
Today’s different missions
It also reflects the Navy’s move away from the Cold War-era emphasis on long-range aircraft and blue-water operations toward missions such as humanitarian relief or support in littoral areas.
“In the new war-fighting environment, the Navy is continuously dealing with targets either ashore or close to the shore. If you’re looking for a terrorist in a speedboat, it simply may not be suitable to use a Super Hornet or other supersonic aircraft,” said Loren Thompson, a defense consultant with the Lexington Institute in Virginia.
“The closer you get to shore, the more you need the ability to dwell. What the rotor craft gets you is a granularity and a precision that is beyond the capability of most other carrier-based aircraft,” Thompson said.
In addition to the air wing’s new configuration, the helicopters themselves are new.
The Navy is replacing its older H-60 B, F and H models with the MH-60R and MH-60S.
The Stennis cruise marks the first time a Romeo and a Sierra squadron are deployed together.
Each squadron has distinct roles, with the Romeo models loaded with intelligence equipment and the Sierras armed for combat operations.
“They have the better sensors, and we have more weapons, more missiles, more guns,” said Cmdr. Michael Ruth, commanding officer of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 8, which is deployed on Stennis with Sierras.
The Sierras are equipped for special operations. Many have armored floors, a .50-caliber gun and eight Hellfire missiles.
For the Romeos, force protection will be a priority.
“Our primary purpose is to enable the strike group to go anywhere and operate in any environment,” said Cmdr. Michael Nortier, commander of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 71, which also deployed with Stennis.
Piracy is one threat that may bring the two squadrons together, Ruth said.
“One of the biggest problems with pirates is identifying who the pirates are. The Romeo is one of the best platforms out there to ID pirates and see where they are. They transmit the link to us and we have the firepower and troops to come in at night and take those ships down,” Ruth said.
Now that the new helicopters are fielded, the next challenge is learning how to use them most effectively, Ruth said.
“There’s a hesitancy sometimes to let the helos go forward. The leadership on a carrier strike group always wants to be able to protect the CSG, and any time you let the helos wander off too far, you lose some of that protection,” Ruth said. “It’s a cultural mindset that I think will slowly dissolve over time.”
The changes are visible on the Stennis, where more helicopters are packed onto the deck and about 40 percent of the wing’s sailors and officers will be from rotary-wing units.
“The helicopter force has never been more relevant,” said Capt. Donald Williamson, commodore of the Helicopter Maritime Strike Wing in San Diego.
“I think we will find that helicopters will be a force multiplier for the [carrier strike group] in ways that people have never thought about.”
Link
http://www.navytimes.com/news/2009/01/navy_helo_deployment_012709/
By Andrew Tilghman - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Jan 27, 2009 14:24:45 EST
The West Coast-based carrier air wing that deployed earlier this month included more helicopters than ever.
When the John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group left Jan. 17, the Navy began testing a new air wing configuration that features two MH-60 Seahawk helicopter squadrons, rather than one.
Previously, carrier air wings typically deployed with 12 helicopters, which included a squadron and a small detachment, while a small command element remained back on the beach. The rotary-wing aircrafts’ missions were often limited to search-and-rescue and logistical missions.
The new wing configuration has two full squadrons for a total of about 19 aircraft, with their leadership aboard, all under the carrier air wing and strike group commander. These helicopters are heavily armed and will take over missions such as anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare and supporting SEALs or other special operations troops.
That signals a shift in naval aviation toward more reliance on rotary-wing aircraft, several aviation officers said.
“They don’t go Mach 3 like the Hornets, but they are mission-flexible,” said Capt. Thomas Criger, a staff officer with Naval Air Forces who has helped oversee the transition to the new helicopter programs.
The expanded mission stems in part from the Navy’s recent retirement of the S-3 Viking, which used to give the air wing its primary anti-submarine capability and then migrated toward midair refueling. Helicopters are taking over the sub-hunting mission.
Today’s different missions
It also reflects the Navy’s move away from the Cold War-era emphasis on long-range aircraft and blue-water operations toward missions such as humanitarian relief or support in littoral areas.
“In the new war-fighting environment, the Navy is continuously dealing with targets either ashore or close to the shore. If you’re looking for a terrorist in a speedboat, it simply may not be suitable to use a Super Hornet or other supersonic aircraft,” said Loren Thompson, a defense consultant with the Lexington Institute in Virginia.
“The closer you get to shore, the more you need the ability to dwell. What the rotor craft gets you is a granularity and a precision that is beyond the capability of most other carrier-based aircraft,” Thompson said.
In addition to the air wing’s new configuration, the helicopters themselves are new.
The Navy is replacing its older H-60 B, F and H models with the MH-60R and MH-60S.
The Stennis cruise marks the first time a Romeo and a Sierra squadron are deployed together.
Each squadron has distinct roles, with the Romeo models loaded with intelligence equipment and the Sierras armed for combat operations.
“They have the better sensors, and we have more weapons, more missiles, more guns,” said Cmdr. Michael Ruth, commanding officer of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 8, which is deployed on Stennis with Sierras.
The Sierras are equipped for special operations. Many have armored floors, a .50-caliber gun and eight Hellfire missiles.
For the Romeos, force protection will be a priority.
“Our primary purpose is to enable the strike group to go anywhere and operate in any environment,” said Cmdr. Michael Nortier, commander of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 71, which also deployed with Stennis.
Piracy is one threat that may bring the two squadrons together, Ruth said.
“One of the biggest problems with pirates is identifying who the pirates are. The Romeo is one of the best platforms out there to ID pirates and see where they are. They transmit the link to us and we have the firepower and troops to come in at night and take those ships down,” Ruth said.
Now that the new helicopters are fielded, the next challenge is learning how to use them most effectively, Ruth said.
“There’s a hesitancy sometimes to let the helos go forward. The leadership on a carrier strike group always wants to be able to protect the CSG, and any time you let the helos wander off too far, you lose some of that protection,” Ruth said. “It’s a cultural mindset that I think will slowly dissolve over time.”
The changes are visible on the Stennis, where more helicopters are packed onto the deck and about 40 percent of the wing’s sailors and officers will be from rotary-wing units.
“The helicopter force has never been more relevant,” said Capt. Donald Williamson, commodore of the Helicopter Maritime Strike Wing in San Diego.
“I think we will find that helicopters will be a force multiplier for the [carrier strike group] in ways that people have never thought about.”
Link
http://www.navytimes.com/news/2009/01/navy_helo_deployment_012709/