In fairness, as I've said before, from my view as an HT IP, I anecdotally believe that R's are the preferred platform of most graduting wingers nowadays from the HTs.
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Should I stay or should I go? Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying And Love HSC.
- Thread starter Wareal
- Start date
In fairness, as I've said before, from my view as an HT IP, I anecdotally believe that R's are the preferred platform of most graduting wingers nowadays from the HTs.
Interesting.
My comments before about guys/gals in HTs not understanding what HSC was really all about was also not meant as a slight against HT IPs honesty btw. Sorry if it came off that way.
When I was an HT student a few years ago the community was being marketed as the exciting SpecOps/CSAR community at Fleet Fly-ins and NHA type events FWIW. So again, hand selected folks meant to propagate the image that the leaders that be in the community want seen.
A significant majority of my HT instructors were HSC-25 or otherwise expeditionary. MEDEVAC, SAR, and VERTREP with the occasional fast roping sounded legit to all of us. We hit the fleet when the HS/HC merger was in full force. By the time we were all Level IIIi across the board, JOs realized a lot of the things now mentioned in this thread. This same generation is now VT/HT instructors and I'm willing to bet that those cockpit conversations that start with "Sir, what'd you fly?" are met with a harsh dose of reality, thus @DanMa1156's statement about lots of studs wanting Romeos.
HSC Expeditionary is now fully invested in MQ-8 and LCS. LCS has some potential, but it's wasted in C7F waving the flag around. They should be using LCS for counter-narcotics and counter-piracy, which would be great with HSC/MQ-8. But it won't happen. ?♂️
HSC Expeditionary is now fully invested in MQ-8 and LCS. LCS has some potential, but it's wasted in C7F waving the flag around. They should be using LCS for counter-narcotics and counter-piracy, which would be great with HSC/MQ-8. But it won't happen. ?♂️
How much choice do they get? Is it merit based?
It’s mostly luck of the draw. #1 guy gets what they want within reason. After that it’s more or less a lottery.
You basically can prioritize coast or platform. Always felt bad for the Sierra ride or die guys in the HTs that put Norfolk 1st thinking it would guarantee them doing the fantasy HSC stuff. I was all about location and figured I’d be cool flying whatever.
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Both of those guys needs a reality check. They're doing their entire community a disservice.
We can get you their number.
Just to add a bit of historical reality to the joys of the continuing HSC discussion. Especially when NFOs act like they are experts on the HSC community and it's history.
Yes we currently have major issues with mission creep and identity/focus, a lot of that has to do with big Navy wanting certain capabilites in their back pocket without wanting to actually risk employing it. With that being said here is a short list of HS/HSC missions and detachments that have actully done stuff. This does not include HCS/HSC-84/85.
'01-02 CSAR Alert in Iraq and Pakistan
'02-05 NTISR out of Basra
'04-09 EMIO in the PI
'05-12 2515th NAAD
'08 Counter Piracy and HVBSS
'09-10 SOF/DA in CENTCOM
'10-11 CSAR Alert IVO Africa, Counter Piracy
'16 CSAR/PR in Iraq
Those are just the ones that I have personal knowledge of and can be mentioned on the UNCLASS side. No we don't do this stuff every day, but we do occasionally get called on to do stuff.
We don't publicize everything, but that doesn't mean we only do SAR and VERTREP.
Yes we currently have major issues with mission creep and identity/focus, a lot of that has to do with big Navy wanting certain capabilites in their back pocket without wanting to actually risk employing it. With that being said here is a short list of HS/HSC missions and detachments that have actully done stuff. This does not include HCS/HSC-84/85.
'01-02 CSAR Alert in Iraq and Pakistan
'02-05 NTISR out of Basra
'04-09 EMIO in the PI
'05-12 2515th NAAD
'08 Counter Piracy and HVBSS
'09-10 SOF/DA in CENTCOM
'10-11 CSAR Alert IVO Africa, Counter Piracy
'16 CSAR/PR in Iraq
Those are just the ones that I have personal knowledge of and can be mentioned on the UNCLASS side. No we don't do this stuff every day, but we do occasionally get called on to do stuff.
We don't publicize everything, but that doesn't mean we only do SAR and VERTREP.
Do you mean how many times have we stood CSAR alert watching bombs get dropped, or how many times have we stood the alert and someone else got called in to do a recovery when it happened?
As far as I know, HS/C has not been trumped for recovery when on alert.
I know of 1 time that HS got airborne for an actual CSAR where the whole package was cancelled mid-mission.
The '16 CSAR/PR det we recovered 4 individuals, and almost launched a few other times but those missions were called off entirely prior to launch.
Edit: While not CSAR, The 2515th NAAD had many of POI MEDEVACs in Iraq.
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I always thought the way tactics should be thought of in HSC: master doing helicopter stuff (landing, formation flying, etc) and apply it to many different mission sets keeping in mind your limitations if called upon to actually perform those mission sets if WW3 starts. I never saw any reason to get all butt hurt about Narnia and training to unlikely mission sets (CSAR, SOF, fucking CAS?!?!?). The complexity of those missions, in my opinion, makes for better SAR, log, and SSC pilots anyways. I don't think its that absurd to embrace the jack of all trades, master of none mindset.
Is there capability to put AGM-114s on Sierras or only on Romeos? For counter-FAC/FIAC, and other uses.
A Block III MH-60S can carry:
1x M-197 20mm cannon + 19 shot Rocket Pod (can be dumb rockets with various warheads or APKWS)
1x M-197 20mm cannon + 4x AGM-114
2x 19 shot Rocket Pods
8x AGM-114
4x AGM-114 + 19 shot Rocket Pod (There are some software issues that currently make this combo not a good idea)
Plus a combination of M-240 (7.62mm) in the windows and/or GAU-21 (.50cal) in the doors. With the correct mounts the Navy could add a GAU-17 miniguns in place of the M-240s.
At least that is what we figured the buoy launcher in the B would do if we lost the tail rotor and hit the "jettison all stores sono" button.
HS was also launched during Libya. I used to work with at least one of the AWs that was on that mission.
Wasn't that HS, still? Not asking to take away from the mission, but counting HS missions for modern HSC seems like comparing the HSL mission to the current (and much better) HSM integration. Honest question, not discounting the point of your post.
Wasn't that HS, still? Not asking to take away from the mission, but counting HS missions for modern HSC seems like comparing the HSL mission to the current (and much better) HSM integration. Honest question, not discounting the point of your post.