US Air Force Helicopters HH-60W proved to be "not particularly useful" for war with China
One of the procurement officers said the US Air Force has significantly reduced the purchase of HH-60W, so the forces are considering several unconventional options that will be able to perform the necessary operations in the event of a great war with China. For example, to save the shot crew in the conflict zone. While hearing at the US Senate Committee on the Air and Earth. The key question was the status of HH-60W helicopter.
In 2014, Sikorsky received a contract for the construction of a new search and rescue helicopter fleet to replace the outdated HH-60G pave hawk. Initially, the Air Force purchased 113 Jolly Green II helicopters, but the change in command requirements reduced to 108, and now to 65. The total cost of HH-60W is $ 4. 1 billion. The problem is that HH-60w Jolly Green II was developed for low-intensity fighting and for an environment with increased threat.
Therefore, the question arises whether the helicopter in the Pacific Ocean will save the brothers, stand in the conditions of radio electronic wrestling and fly out of the danger zone surviving. "Park (HH-60W) was intended for very specific operations, they were purchased for Iraq and Afghanistan. It is not very useful in the Chinese operation zone," said Lieutenant General Richard Mur Jr. , Deputy Chief of the US Air Force from plans and plans and plans and programs.
The command of the army is new challenges that arise due to the prospect of confrontation or even a full-scale conflict with the participation of China at the Asian-Pacific Fighting Theater. To do this, find a replacement for HH-60W for future search and rescue operations. The US Air Force stated that they were looking for an unconventional way to solve the problem.