MH-60S Seahawks With Water Buckets To Be Dispatched

The Department of Defense has authorized the use of U.S. Navy helicopters to help fight wildfires in California, and ten of its MH-60S Seahawks are being sent, according to DoD officials.

The helicopters will be fitted with buckets for delivering water to the fires, but it is not yet known from which installations the helicopters will be deployed or when they might arrive on scene.

Sabrina Singh, deputy press secretary for the Pentagon said, ““Right now, we can’t even get assets up in the air because the fires are so bad and because the winds are so bad.”

The helicopters were authorized following President Biden’s direction to the DoD to provide firefighting personnel and assets as massive wildfires rage through the Los Angeles area, with at least five known deaths at this point.

President Biden said, “We’re doing anything and everything and as long as it takes to contain these fires… to make sure you get back to normal. It’s going to be a hell of a long way. It’s going to take time.”

The helicopters will support National Guard units from California and Nevada, which are currently relying on modular firefighting systems loaded into C-130 cargo aircraft. They are capable of dropping up to 3,000 gallons of water or retardant in six seconds through a nozzle on the left rear side of the aircraft.

Singh continued, “The president has directed the Department of Defense to feed into what California needs. Until we can get additional air support in the air, we are standing by ready to support California.”

FMI:  www.navy.mil