Military Support
The U.S. Coast Guard and Florida National Guard also are involved with hurricane search and rescue. The Coast Guard has 200 aircraft, with helicopters making up 71.5% of its fleet. The Coast Guard has 98 MH-65 Dolphins. This short-range recovery helicopter is the Guard’s primary rescue aircraft. It’s certified for all-weather and nighttime operations, with the exception of icy conditions. It has a range of 350 nm.
“The MH-65 excels with its capability to perform missions in the most severe climatic conditions, at high altitude or in hot weather, and its large power margin enables rooftop landings and takeoffs from urban areas in complete safety,” according to Airbus.
The Coast Guard fleet also features 45 MH-60T Jayhawk helicopters. The Jayhawk is a multi-mission, twin-engine, medium-range helicopter operated by the Coast Guard for search and rescue, law enforcement, military readiness and marine environmental protection missions. “The long-term plan is for all
Sept. 29, 2022: A Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater MH-60 Jayhawk flies overhead while personnel assigned to the Gulf, Atlantic and Pacific Strike Force teams scan for unaccounted people in Fort Myers Beach, Florida. The Coast Guard National Strike Force mobilized to areas affected by Hurricane Ian to perform urban search and rescue. (Photo: Petty Officer 3rd Class Gabriel Wisdom, USCG)
Sept. 26, 2022: An HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter is loaded into the back of a C-17 Globemaster aircraft at Patrick Space Force Base, Florida, in preparation for the arrival of Hurricane Ian. The decision was made to relocate the aircraft to areas where the hurricane wouldn’t damage them. In fewer than 24 hours, all of the wing’s HC-130J Combat King II aircraft and HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters were prepared, pre-flight checked, then flown or loaded to be transported off of the installation. This movement was the equivalent of a rapid deployment of the wing’s Personnel Recovery Task Force-Heavy, which utilizes multi-capable airmen from across the wing to mobilize rapidly for rescue operations around the world. (Photo: Master. Sgt. Kelly Goonan. U.S. Air Force)
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