“The MH-60 Brings More Capability Than The MH-65 With Respect To The Payload, Endurance And Range...”

Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans has received its first of three MH-60 Jayhawk helicopters this week. The arrival included an overflight of downtown New Orleans by Cmdr. Keith Blair, Air Station New Orleans commanding officer.

The next two MH-60s are scheduled to arrive by the end of July. The station's current fleet of MH-65s will be transferred to other units throughout the Coast Guard. The addition of the MH-60s is part of a Coast Guard rotary-wing service life extension program and initiative to expand the capabilities of the Coast Guard Eighth District for a more robust response to routine operations as well as catastrophic incident response operations. 

The Coast Guard notes that the MH-60 is an all-weather medium range recovery (MRR) helicopter that provides multi-mission capabilities in support of Department of Homeland Security and Coast Guard missions. The MRR helicopter supports all statutorily mandated Coast Guard missions with specific emphasis on operations requiring rapid response and extended on-scene rotary wing aviation presence. It also conducts indirect support activities such as training and transportation of cargo and personnel. The Coast Guard is currently completing a Service Life Extension Project (SLEP) to sustain MH-60T Jayhawk fleet operations through the 2030s.

“The MH-60 brings more capability than the MH-65 with respect to the payload, endurance and range,” said Blair. "The MH-60 can fly up to a 250 miles operational radius. This means we will be able to fly further, longer, and accommodate more people in distress in a single flight."

The MH-60 Jayhawk is a multi-mission, medium-range helicopter used for search and rescue, law enforcement, military readiness and marine environmental protection missions.

FMI: www.uscg.mil