Photo By Master Sgt. Ray Aquino | A U.S. Air Force HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopter (left), prepares to shutdown its...... read more read more
Subscribe
By Senior Airman Serena Smith
Feb. 13, 2025
MOFFETT AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Calif.- The U.S. Air Force 129th Rescue Wing, located at Moffett Air National Guard Base near Mountain View, California, is in the process of receiving new helicopters to replace its current model, the HH-60G Pave Hawk, with six newer HH-60W Jolly Green IIs.
The first two helicopters arrived earlier this month, and the wing plans to receive the next four by the end of 2026.
The Jolly Greens offer more advantages than their predecessor, with better 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 U.S. Air Force. Maj. John Kerr, an HH-60 pilot assigned to the wing.
The aircraft can self-report faults, which leads to better troubleshooting, said U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Jeremy Mayo, a 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 is able to access that data.
The Jolly Greens no longer have internal auxiliary fuel tanks, allowing for more valuable cabin space for the crew and pararescuemen to work and provide in-air medical care.
“It provides a much better platform to do vertical lift and rescue from,” said Kerr.
The Jolly Greens are equipped with 701D engines, which are more powerful with better torque, helping with weight limits.
“What really makes the 60W have a better power advantage is its aerodynamics,” said Kerr. “The blades are much more aerodynamically efficient, so they produce more lift and that translates to more power and torquing capability.”
The newer aircraft are overall more reliable, giving the 129th Maintenance Group a fresh start, said Kerr.
“(The aircraft) will do a lot for combat capability and search and rescue, as well as state domestic operations,” said Kerr. “It’ll be a great advantage not just for the wing, but the State of California.”
| Date Taken: | 02.13.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 02.13.2025 18:47 |
| Story ID: | 490784 |
| Location: | MOFFETT FIELD, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 280 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 21st century advances- 129th Rescue Wing upgrades to new aircraft, by SrA Serena Smith, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
