The HH-60G Pave Hawk describes a medium-lift combat search and rescue (CSAR) helicopter. It was designed and built by Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation for the Korea Airforce and US Air Force. The helicopter was developed and designed from the UH-60A Black Hawk helicopter and can be transported by the C-17 Globe master III and C-5 Galaxy transport aircraft ( Young, 2016) . The HH-60G is currently operated by the Air Force Reserve Command, Air Combat Command, Air National Guard, Pacific Air Forces, USAFE, and Training Education and Training Command. One of the key objectives of the HH-60G Pave Hawk is to carry out night or day personnel recovery operations in some hostile environments during a war. The background paper will evaluate the HH-60G Pave Hawk.
Background
The Pave Hawk has a detailed history of use during contingencies especially Operation Just Cause. Also, they offered emergency coverage for the US Navy SEAL teams when they were penetrating the Kuwaiti coast during the invasion. During Operation Desert Storm, they offered combat rescue and search coverage for coalition forces in Saudi Arabia, western Iraq, the Persian Gulf, and in western Iraq. In Operation Allied Force, the HH-60G offered combat search and rescue missions for NATO allied forces. Furthermore, they successfully rescued two air force pilots who had been isolated behind ISIS zones. In March 2000, the Pave Hawks were deployed in Mozambique in humanitarian relief mission after the international floods ( Schanz, 2010) . Within 17 days, the Pave hawks flew over 240 missions and delivered about 170 tons of humanitarian supplies.
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After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the HH-60G were deployed in support of recovery operations in Jackson, Mississippi and New Orleans and some of its surrounding areas. During the emergency, they flew 24-hour operations for more than a month and saved over 4300 Americans during the post Katrina rescue missions ( Young, 2016) . After the Tsunami, Japan deployed the HH-60Gs within 24 hours in search and rescue missions in operation Tomodachi. Currently, the helicopters are deployed in various missions in Libya, Afghanistan, and Iraq.
Mission Capabilities of the HH-60G Pave Hawk
The main objective and mission of the helicopter are recovering personnel from hostile regions during wars. Other than the recovery of personnel in hostile regions, it also executes rescue command and control missions, search and rescue, NASA space shuttle support, medical evacuation, counter-drug activities, disaster relief, security cooperation, and humanitarian assistance ( Schanz, 2010) . The helicopter was used in various operations such as Operation Tomodachi during the tsunami and earthquake in Japan, Operation Desert Storm, Sri Lanka tsunami flood relief, Operation Allied Force, Hurricane Katrina search and rescue operations, and the Mozambique flood relief operations. The UH-60A Black Hawk was initially developed in 1981, and it entered service in 1982. The helicopter was then upgraded with a 97.5-gallon capacity auxiliary fuel tank and an in-flight refueling probe. Due to the upgrades, in 1991, the UH-60A was renamed as the HH-60G Pave Hawk.
Features
The helicopter features include optional tactical data receiver, foldable tail and main rotor blades, external store support system, and a lagging gear system with a dragging tail wheel. The rotor/engine anti-ice system allows the helicopter to be used comfortably despite the hostile condition during wars or natural disasters. Other upgrades include upgraded navigation and communications suite that includes Have Quick communications, integrated Doppler navigation/inertial navigation/global positioning systems, secure voice, and satellite communications. Furthermore, the helicopter has forward-looking infrared systems, automatic flight control systems, and night vision goggles that have greatly improved night low level operations ( Young, 2016) . Besides, the HH-60G Pave Hawks have rotor blade/engine anti-ice system and color weather radar that provides the helicopter an adverse weather capability. The Pave Hawk mission equipment includes a 3600-kilogram (8000 pounds) capacity cargo hook, retractable in-flight refueling probe, and two crew-served .50 or 7.72mm caliber machine guns. To improve shipboard and transportability operations, the helicopter has folding rotor blades. To enhance combat needs, it has a chaff/flare countermeasure dispensing system, a radar warning system, and an infrared jammer.
The rescue equipment includes a personnel locating equipment compatible with PRC-112 radios that offer bearing and range information of survivors and personnel location during rescue missions ( Schanz, 2010) . It also has a 270 kilogram (600 pounds) load from a hover height of 60.7 meters (200 feet). Also, they have an over the horizon tactical data receiver. The helicopter has a pressurized cockpit that has night vision google lighting. The cockpit can comfortably accommodate four crew members including the gunner, pilot, flight engineer, and co-pilot. Furthermore, it has a lightweight airborne recovery system. The helicopter can fly at an optimum speed of about 360km/h, and it has a cruise speed of about 294km/h. The service ceiling and range of the aircraft are 4328 meters and 933 kilometers respectively. Its maximum flight endurance is about 4.2 hours. The HH-60G Pave Hawks were upgraded in 2012 with improved hover stabilization and altitude hold at the cost of about $12 million.
HH-60 Recapitalization Programme
The Recapitalization Program was launched in 2010 by the US Air Force to upgrade the aging fleets of HH 60G Pave Hawks with the new aircraft. The contract was awarded in 2014 to Sikorsky and mandated initial deliveries of eight helicopters with all the necessary support and training systems in place. Four of the eight aircraft were assigned to mission aircraft while the remaining four were deployed for training. The first flight is expected this year. The Initial Operational Capability will be in place by 2021 ( Young, 2016) . Also, the Pave Hawks will be slowly phased out by 2030 when celebrating its 47 th anniversary. The contract was worth about $8 billion. The HH-60G will be upgraded to the HH-60W.
After the project is up and running, they will be producing about fourteen aircraft annually between 2021 and 2029. The new aircraft will be more effective. Most of the unique components such as the drive train, rotors, and blades are common to army models, and the investment is a low-risk endeavor. The US Airforce has made the helicopter its main combat rescue helicopter program. Acquiring the new Pave Hawks is one of their acquisition priorities ( Young, 2016) . Currently, the Pave Hawks cost about $26500 per flight hour to operate and may have a mission capable rate of about 75%. However, the figures would greatly improve with the new combat helicopters. The contractors are keen to achieve the required combat capability.
Conclusion
The background paper evaluates the HH-60G Pave Hawk. The helicopter was designed and built by Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation for the Korea Airforce and US Air Force. It is operated by the HH-60G is currently operated by the Air Force Reserve Command, Air Combat Command, Air National Guard, Pacific Air Forces, USAFE, and Training Education and Training command ( Schanz, 2010) . The Pave Hawks have had various successes in the battlefield and rescue missions during disasters such as hurricane Katrina, the 2005 floods in Mozambique, and during the Tsunami. However, the current Pave Hawks may not meet all the modern day needs of the US Air Force. Therefore, the HH-60Gs may be replaced by the HH-60Ws that may be launched within three years. The current HH-60Gs have faced certain issues such as obsolescence, and the US Air Force have to ensure that the current fleet remains viable until the HH-60Ws are fielded.
References
Schanz, M. V. (2010). Personnel Recovery, In Need of Rescue: Air Force Magazine , 93 (12), 28-33.
Young, S. H. (2016). Gallery of USAF weapons: Air Force Magazine , 89 (5), 146.
