THE HELICOPTER MASTER PLAN

Helicopters are vital to the execution of numerous Navy missions. The Navy will be "necking down" to fewer types of helicopters in the future, but rotary-wing requirements will not lessen.

The Helicopter Master Plan sets forth the following taskings:

Develop a helicopter force structure to meet present and future requirements until FY 2020 in the antisubmarine warfare, antisurface warfare, mine warfare, combat search and rescue, special operations, and vertical replenishment mission areas
Reduce costs and infrastructure
Make Naval Reserve forces mirror active Navy forces
Support air station search and rescue, range support, and other miscellaneous missions.

The plan calls for expanding warfighting capabilities, modernizing the force, necking down to three aircraft types, and consolidating force structure where possible. To meet the new taskings, the Navy is making the changes described below:

CH-60

The Navy will procure sufficient numbers of CH-60 helicopters to replace the CH-46D Sea Knight, HH-60H Seahawk, and H-3 Sea King. The CH-60 is the future aircraft for combat search and rescue, special operations, and logistics helicopter forces in the Navy. Combining the tested and battle proven U.S. Army UH-60 Blackhawk fuselage and Navy SH-60 Seahawk dynamic components, the CH-60 promises to be a superb aircraft. The commonality bred into the helicopter not only contributes to mission effectiveness, but will provide logistics and acquisition efficiencies. A CH-60 demonstrator will fly in the summer of 1997, with full production currently scheduled for FY 1999. The CH-60 is the linchpin of the Helicopter Master Plan.

SH-60B/F

The SH-60B Seahawk is the air component of the LAMPS Mk III weapon system integrated with the Navy's surface combatant forces. Seahawks have exceeded all Fleet requirements since their first deployment in 1984. The primary missions of the Seahawk are antisubmarine warfare and antisurface warfare. It also supports secondary missions of electronic warfare and command, control, and communications ‹ as well as the traditional helicopter roles of search and rescue and logistics. The SH 60F Seahawk, a specialized variant embarked in aircraft carriers, provides close-in undersea warfare protection to the battle group. First deployed in 1991, this aircraft is equipped with active dipping sonar and sonobuoy processing for the ASW mission. The SH-60F also contributes to maritime interdiction operations, search and rescue operations, and logistics support.

SH-60R

The conversion of all SH-60B and SH-60F helicopters to SH-60R or SH 60R(V) will provide a true multimission helicopter force. The SH-60R upgrade involves the remanufacture of existing Seahawk variants into an aircraft that will carry the Navy's tactical helicopter community through 2020. Along with a Service Life Extension Program for the airframe, the SH-60R will incorporate an advanced multi-mode, Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar, the Airborne Low Frequency (dipping) Sonar, and an upgraded computer suite that will significantly improve the multimission ability of the SH-60 weapons system.

HH-60H

The HH-60H is also assigned to carrier air wings and performs the missions of combat search and rescue and special operations warfare support. Capable of executing either mission from air-capable ships as well as from unprepared sites ashore, the incorporation of FLIR coupled with Hellfire missiles and an enhanced survivability package will continue to provide the task force commander with a potent multimission force multiplier well into the next century.

Other aspects of the Navy's Helicopter Master Plan include:

Outsourcing to employ commercial helicopters and crews to perform logistics support missions for Military Sealift Command (MSC) ships - if this concept proves to be operationally and economically feasible. (MSC ships are civilian-manned and provide logistics support to operational naval forces, as well as point-to-point transportation for all Department of Defense activities and agencies). Outsourcing is only one option Naval Aviation is closely examining to ensure it provides the nation with the most robust force possible given the limited defense budgets.
Consolidating the Helicopter ASW Squadron (HS) and Helicopter Combat Support Squadron (HC) communities to support aircraft carriers, fast combat support ships (AOEs), and amphibious ships. AOEs normally operate in direct support of carrier battle groups. Under this concept, carrier-based helicopter squadrons will support the AOEs while amphibious ships will be provided with rescue/utility helicopters from shore-based squadrons. (This is a separate function from the Marine assault and gunship helicopters that operate from these amphibious ships).