California Air Guard’s 129th Rescue Wing to upgrade aircraft

The US Air Force 129th Rescue Wing is replacing the HH-60G Pave Hawk with six newer HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopters.

The Jolly Greens offer enhanced integration tools, advanced avionics and improved survivability, with upgraded radar, laser, missile and fire warnings.

“It brings new systems with new interoperability, with those systems not only with our aircraft but with the rest of the combat Air Force,” said US Air Force Major John Kerr, an HH-60 pilot assigned to the Wing.

The aircraft can self-report faults, which leads to better troubleshooting, said US Air Force Senior Master Sergeant Jeremy Mayo, an HH-60 flight chief assigned to the Wing. If the crew doesn’t notice a problem or a system could be running more efficiently, the maintenance team can access that data.

The Jolly Greens don’t have internal auxiliary fuel tanks, allowing more valuable cabin space for the crew and pararescue specialists to work and provide in-air medical care.

“It provides a much better platform to do vertical lift and rescue from,” said Kerr.

“What really makes the 60W have a better power advantage is its aerodynamics,” he added. “The blades are much more aerodynamically efficient, so they produce more lift, and that translates to more power and torquing capability.”

Kerr concluded: “[The aircraft] will do a lot for combat capability and search and rescue, as well as state domestic operations.”

The New York Air National Guard recently acquired an HH-60W Jolly Green II to replace one of its older Pave Hawks.