RAFEngO74to09

HH-60W has now officially been named "Jolly Green II" - named after the “green feet” impressions the HH-3E "Jolly Green" would leave after landing in the Vietnam era and later the HH-53 "Super Jolly Green".

The USAF is ordering 108 x HH-60W.

More here:

https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Disp...rescue-giants/

RAFEngO74to09

Lockheed Martin video:

Groundloop

Didn't they notice it's grey?

weemonkey

And it ain't giant either.

Wonder if they have relocated the stab stuff to somewhere less goose susceptible.....

MG

Well let’s hope the crews are happy then, otherwise they’ve got it wrong on all fronts.

RAFEngO74to09

HH-60W Jolly Green II begins live-firing weapons testing on:

GAU-2 - a 7.62mm Gatling gun with a 3,000 rounds per minute fire rate.
GAU-18 - a .50 caliber legacy machine gun with a 650-800 round fire rate.
GAU-21 - a .50 caliber newly-designed machine gun with a 950-1100 round fire rate.

13 photos here: https://www.afmc.af.mil/News/Article...-fire-testing/

MPN11

I always thought it was a Jolly good aircraft. Like Albert, long-lived.

Martin the Martian

They've almost run out of variant suffix letters for the H-60. The only ones they haven't used are E, I, O, U, X, Y and Z.

RAFEngO74to09

HH-60U is in use for the small, unique fleet used for "security" and other duties at Area 51.

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zon...wk-helicopters

BATCO

I think that is the more remarkable piece of information. Especially given the number of battlefield helicopters operated by the US Army (plus USMC types).

Batco

Could be the last?

Maybe we could increase the order by 30, and fill the gap the Puma is about to leave?

chopper2004

On Moody AFB FB Site says the received them today (photos courtesy of ACC)

cheers

RAFEngO74to09

Excellent 1hr+ walkaround detailing all the improvements on an HH-60W Jolly Green II over an HH-60G Pave Hawk:


Earlier walkaround of an HH-60G Pave Hawk:

TBM-Legend

..thanks for posting: actually "Jolly Green" name came from the cartoon 'Jolly Green Giant' which originated on 'Giant Green Peas' packet because the original Jolly Green HH-3 looked like a green giant.

Enjoy this -https://www.historynet.com/brave-jolly-green.htm

SASless

Perhaps the UK. MoD might look hard at the new improved Black Hawk as a replacement for the antique Pumas.

Hard to beat success....a concept foreign to the MoD when it comes to buying off. the shelf aircraft.

HAS59

The US Army had it right when they named their helicopters after American First Nation tribes.
The US Air Force, bless them, will insist on giving their aircraft silly nicknames, often ignoring the official 'reporting name'.
This is just the latest - taken to the ultimate level of stupidity by making an annoying and often confusing nickname into an official designation.
I could cite several examples but the informed audience need no reminding of them.
Don't their armed forces branches ever consult each other?

Vzlet

Well, AR 70-28 didn't prevent "Huey" from becoming a more commonly used term than than "Iroquois".

SASless

It was more the HU-1 tag that led to the Huey....than Iroquois. Just saying of course.

Vzlet

Exactly -- an unforeseen factor that trumped officialdom.

TBM-Legend

knick names abound in the USAF:

Huey, Hog, Viper, Buff, Snake, Jolly Green, Sluff, Oscar Deuce, Scooter, T-Bird, Tweet, Herky Bird, Gooney Bird, Bone, and so on...

The designation is centralised but the name is general applied by the relevant service introducing the equipment...