MH-53E Sea Dragon future / replacement and HC-4 det Sigonella?

[chopper2004]

Afternoon all,

Quickie couple of questions as HC-4 Black Stallions have relocated over the last year to Norfolk/NAS Chambers Field, take it that there is a still a det at Sigonella of Sea Dragons?

I saw the HC-4 MH-53E at Mildenhall 95 (my pic below) and saw a pair of HC-4 MH-53E 2/3 years back in 2004 summer circling around the Cambridgeshire airspace when I worked at an airfield outside Cambridge. Nice sight and think they were supporting a US delegation visit to UK Probably transiting up and down the country.

http://photo.ringo.com/244/244728811O232760174.jpg

Apart from the MH-60S Knighthawk with AMCM kit on, what future is there for the Navy's Sea Dragon fleet with regard to VOD DET?

Or will the Navy's original plan to purchase HV-22 replace the 53E for this role?

What about Sigonella Det itself, will there ever be a permanant squadron of MH-60S even though they lack the heavy lift of the 6th Fleet?

[Peter-RB]

What the dickens are those Paniers for, is it fuel or floatation, makes that Heli look mighty big and clumsy

Peter R-B

Vfrpilotpb

[chopper2004]

Extended Fuel Tanks, Peter...as the MH-53E has to be more than hovering from ship to ship or ship to shore.


Plus staying on station dragging the mines weeping sled, needs extra fuel.

[NickLappos]

While the fantastic speed of the V22 would seem to be a virtue on this mission, relative to a helicopter the Tilt Rotor has large hover fuel burn, low hover thrust available (for low drag tension, a weakness) and short time on station could be a limiter to the overall effectiveness of the V22 in counter-mine warfare.

That being said, if the MH-60S sets the mission's tow tension and time on station requirements, it is possible that the V22 could also suit the mission. Neither aircraft can hold a candle to the MH-53E in either category, I think.

[chopper2004]

Question for Nick,

So could the CH-53K be a potential lead on for the Navy's requirement for VERTREP? A natural progression for the MH-53E?


Thanks

[NickLappos]

chopper2004,
I don't know the Vertrep requirements so I can't comment. Gut feel is that the E and K are big for that role, since most Vertrep loads can be broken down, and the heavy lift fleet were built around the big point loads that can't be parsed out (like the LAV).

[heli1]

There is currently quite a debate underway on this.
The Signolla detachment I believe has been closed down and the aircrft shifted to support vertrep ops to release Ch-53Es for Iraq.The long plan is to replace the MH-53E with the MH-60S to commonalise the fleet,but people are now asking if a Navy all H-60 fleet can handle all the tasks ,esoecially disaster relief and similar high payload missions once the H-46 is retired.

[chopper2004]

So there might be forward det of MH-60S possibly at Sigonella like they did with the old COD C-2. where up to the 90s there was a permi squadron VR-24 then afterwards started to have temp dets as the unit either disbanded or moved?