55th RQS begins transition to HH-60W

The U.S. Air Force has begun phasing out one of its oldest and most reliable assets, the HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter. This move comes as the Air Force’s 55th RQS (Rescue Squadron) has just returned from a successful deployment, during which the Pave Hawk fleet played a crucial role in a variety of missions, including personnel recovery, casualty evacuation and on-call support to joint and coalition forces.

Airmen unload an HH-60G Pave Hawk from a C-17 Globemaster III assigned to Joint Base Lewis-McCord at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., Oct. 17, 2022. The first of three HH-60G Pave Hawks assigned to the 55th Rescue Squadron returned from a deployment to an undisclosed location on the Globemaster. This was the final deployment that Davis-Monthan used Pave Hawks. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Paige Weldon)

The 55th RQS, based at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona, is now preparing to fully integrate the new HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopter into its fleet. This newer helicopter model is expected to bring increased aircraft availability and newer technologies to the table, which will be leveraged by 55th RQS aircrews to continue the vital mission of combat search and rescue operations.

“The golf (HH-60G Pave Hawk) has been essential to ensuring success of the Air Force’s worldwide personnel recovery mission during their time here at DM,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Paul Sheehey, 55th RQS director of operations. “Countless people across the globe have survived their worst day because of these aircraft and the highly skilled 55th aircrew who operate them.”

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