Rotor Review Summer 2021 #153 by Naval Helicopter Association, Inc

Summer 2021 Number 153

UAVs and You Also in this issue:

On the Glideslope for Retirement - VADM Dean Peters, USN Let Go of the Good Old Days! - RADM Shoshana S. Chatfield, USN Unmanned Integration within the HSC Community CAPT Sean Rocheleau,USN Building the Plane While Flying It: Naval Aviation’s Return to Rota PEP Part 1: What Is PEP? I’m Interested Enforcing the Tet Cease Fire of ‘71 Rat Catching 101

FOCUS: UAVs and You

Rotary Wing Aviation Can Lead the Way to Think Outside the Box to Defeat Deadly Sea Mines: A Perspective - CAPT George Galdorisi, USN (Ret.).........................32 Navy Future Vertical Lift: Pilot Optional - LCDR Matt “Thumper” Petersen, USN ........36

Summer 2021 ISSUE 153

Buzzword MUM-T: Expeditionary HSC on the Leading Edge LT Rebecca “Deuce” Atkinson, USN .........................................................................................38

Sailors assigned to the “Wildcards” of HSC-23 watch as an MQ-8B Fire Scout takes off aboard the Independenceclass littoral combat ship, USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10). U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Allen Michael Amani/.

"Who are the Pilots?... All of Us, Sir" - An AWS1 assigned to SRT-1 .................................39

Rotor Review (ISSN: 1085-9683) is published quarterly by the Naval Helicopter Association, Inc. (NHA), a California nonprofit 501(c)(6) corporation. NHA is located in Building 654, Rogers Road, NASNI, San Diego, CA 92135. Views expressed in Rotor Review are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the policies of NHA or United States Navy, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard. Rotor Review is printed in the USA. Periodical rate postage is paid at San Diego, CA. Subscription to Rotor Review is included in the NHA or corporate membership fee. A current corporation annual report, prepared in accordance with Section 8321 of the California Corporation Code, is available on the NHA website at www.navalhelicopterassn.org.

Unmanned Battle Problem Missile Launch Integrates Manned and Unmanned Systems - Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet Public Affairs .........................................46

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Naval Helicopter Association, P.O. Box 180578, Coronado, CA 92178-0578. Rotor Review supports the goals of the association, provides a forum for discussion and exchange of information on topics of interest to the rotary community and keeps membership informed of NHA activities. As necessary, the President of NHA will provide guidance to the Rotor Review Editorial Board to ensure Rotor Review content continues to support this statement of policy as the Naval Helicopter Association adjusts to the expanding and evolving Rotary Wing and Tilt Rotor Communities.

Rotor Review #153 Summer '21

The UAV Virtuoso - LT Thomas "Cosmo" Sandford, USN....................................................40 Rockets and Rotors - LT Thomas “Cosmo” Sandford, USN ................................................42 Moderate Bird Activity: An Aerial Pivot to Nature’s Drone Threat LT Justin “Toto” Davis, USN ........................................................................................................44

FEATURES

On the Glideslope for Retirement - VADM Dean Peters, USN ............................................48 It Is Time to Overhaul the Navy’s Mentor Culture LCDR Adam “SARA” Moffit, USN................................................................................................50 Into the GOO: Our Corona Cruise Experience LT John Gildersleeve, USN and LTJG Haley Wahrhaftig, USN...............................................52 Building the Plane While Flying It: Naval Aviation’s Return to Rota LT Meg “Magic” Snyder, USN and LT Ben “Kimbo” Weaver, USN...........................................54 Folding Jayhawks to Boost U.S. Coast Guard Reach at Sea Dan Parsons (Vertical Magazine) ..................................................................................................56 PEP Part 1: What Is PEP? I’m Interested - LT Randall A. Perkins IV, USN ..............................58 Rat-Catching 101: The 50th Anniversary of HM-12 and the Birth of Airborne Mine Countermeasures - CDR Michael Lanzillo, USN ...........................62 HM-12: The Origin of the U.S. Navy's H-53 Operations CAPT Russell E. Berry Jr., USN (Ret)...........................................................................................64 Wild Fire Rescue “Middle Fire” - LCDR Derek Schramel, USCG........................................68 The HSC Community – Always Ready - LT Cassie “Squids” Gettinger, USN.....................72 Navy Announces Initial Aviation Warrant Officer Selection Board MC1 Mark D. Faram, Chief of Naval Personnel Public Affairs..................................................87 2

DEPARTMENTS Chairman’s Brief ....................................................................................................................6 Executive Director's View.....................................................................................................7 National President's Message...............................................................................................8 Vice President of Membership's Report............................................................................9 In Review...................................................................................................................................10 Letters to the Editor..............................................................................................................11 View from the Cabin.............................................................................................................12 Scholarship Fund Update .....................................................................................................13 Historical Society....................................................................................................................16 View from the Labs ..............................................................................................................18 On Leadership .......................................................................................................................20 Let Go of the Good Old Days! The Time is Now RADM Shoshana S. Chatfield, USN Commodore's Corner ........................................................................................................22 Unmanned Integration within the HSC Community CAPT Sean Rocheleau,USN Industry and Technology........................................................................................................24 Exercise Deep Water 20 and Shaping a Way Ahead for the USMC - Dr. Robbin Laird The U.S. Navy Receives Its First TH-73A Training Helicopter - Leonardo Press Release Northrop Grumman’s MQ-8C Fire Scout Completes Successful Fit Check aboard USS Anchorage (LPD 23) - Northrop Grumman LSI, Inc. Delivers Two CMV-22B Virtual Maintenance Trainers - LSI U.S. Navy Awards L3Harris Contract for 16 COMSATCOM Terminals - L3Harris Getting Started TellingYour Stories - CAPT George Galdorisi, USN (Ret.).......................74 Anti-Submarine Warfare - LCDR Tom Phillips, USN (Ret.)................................................76 Squadron Anniversaries and Reunions ..................................................................................82 True Story.................................................................................................................................78 Enforcing the Tet Cease Fire of ‘71 - LCDR Tom Phillips, USN (Ret.) The Least Dramatic SAR Article of All Time - A Lieutenant Junior Grade Off Duty .................................................................................................................................84 Flight of the Pawnee by Marc Liebman - Reviewed by LCDR Chip Lancaster, USN (Ret.) Radio Check ..........................................................................................................................86 Change of Command ...........................................................................................................88 Engaging Rotors ....................................................................................................................90 Signal Charlie .........................................................................................................................96

Editorial Staff Editor-in-Chief LT Michael Short, USN michael.v.short@navy.mil Managing Editor Allyson Darroch rotorreview@navalhelicopterassn.org Copy Editors CDR John Ball, USN (Ret.) helopapa71@gmail.com Aircrew Editors AWS1(NAC/AW) Patrick M. Miller, USN millerexpeditionco@gmail.com AWR1(NAC/AW) Aaron T. Messner, USN aaron.messner@navy.mil AWR1(NAC/AW/SW) Broc Fournier, USN broc.fournier@navy.mil AWR1 Calder L. Epes, USN calder.epes@navy.mil HSC Editors LT Alden “Caspr” Marton, USN (HSC West) ealden.marton@navy.mil LT Sarah "MAC" Rupp, USN sarahbrupp@gmail.com HSM Editor LT Johnattan “Snow” Gonzalez, USN jonattang334@gmail.com USMC Editor Capt Nolan Vihlen, USMC nolan.vihlen@gmail.com USCG Editor LT Marco Tinari, USCG marco.m.tinari@uscg.mil NHA Photographer Raymond Rivard Technical Advisor LCDR Chip Lancaster, USN (Ret.) chipplug@hotmail.com Historian CDR Joe Skrzypek, USN (Ret.) skrzypek@yahoo.com

Editors Emeriti Wayne Jensen - John Ball - John Driver Sean Laughlin - Andy Quiett - Mike Curtis Susan Fink - Bill Chase - Tracey Keefe Maureen Palmerino - Bryan Buljat - Gabe Soltero Todd Vorenkamp - Steve Bury - Clay Shane Kristin Ohleger - Scott Lippincott - Allison Fletcher Ash Preston - Emily Lapp - Mallory Decker Caleb Levee - Shane Brenner - Shelby Gillis

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Rotor Review #153 Summer '21

Naval Helicopter Association, Inc. P.O. Box 180578, Coronado, CA 92178-0578 (619) 435-7139 www.navalhelicopterassn.org National Officers

President.................................CAPT William Eastham, USN Vice President .........................CDR Kenneth Colman, USN Executive Director...............CAPT Jim Gillcrist, USN (Ret.) Business Development..............................Ms. Linda Vydra Managing Editor, Rotor Review .......Ms. Allyson Darroch Retired Affairs ..................CDR Mike Brattland, USN (Ret.) Legal Advisor ..............CDR George Hurley, Jr., USN (Ret.) VP Corp. Membership .........CAPT Tres DeHay, USN (Ret.) VP Awards ...........................................CDR Ian Adams, USN VP Membership ..........................CDR Michael Short, USN VP Symposium 2021 ...........CAPT William Eastham, USN Secretary.................................................LT Cort Jones, USN Treasurer ............................................LT Sinjen Povoli, USN NHA Stuff....................................LT Caleb Derrington, USN Senior HSM Advisor.............AWRCM Nathan Hickey, USN Senior HSC Advisor ......AWSCM Darren Hauptman, USN

Directors at Large

Chairman.........................RADM Patrick McGrath, USN (Ret.) CAPT Gene Ager, USN (Ret.) CAPT Chuck Deitchman, USN (Ret.) CAPT Dennis DuBard, USN (Ret.) CAPT Tony Dzielski, USN (Ret.) CAPT Greg Hoffman, USN (Ret.) CAPT Bill Personius, USN (Ret.) CAPT Mario Mifsud, USN (Ret.) CAPT Arne Nelson, USN (Ret.) LT Casey Keilty, USN AWRCM Nathan Hickey, USN

Junior Officers Council

National Pres. / Region 1..LT Casey “Screech” Keilty, USN Region 2 ...................LT Matthew “Cheeese” Wellens, USN Region 3 ................................LT Ed "Rhino" Stephens, USN Region 4 ................................LT Tyler "Kuzco" Bothel, USN Region 5 ......................LT Maria “Thumbalina” Regis, USN Region 6........................................... LTJG Griffin Burke,USN

NHA Scholarship Fund

Region 2 - Washington D.C. Director .................................CAPT Matt Schnappauf, USN President .......................................CDR Richard Haley, USN Co-President CDR Pat Jeck, USN (Ret.) Region 3 - Jacksonville Director .................................CAPT Richard Whitfield, USN President ...........................................CDR Justin Banz, USN Region 4 - Norfolk Director ...............................................CAPT Ryan Keys, USN President ...................................CAPT Steven Thomas, USN Region 5 - Pensacola Director .............................................CAPT Jade Lepke, USN President .......................................CDR Patrick O'Neill, USN 2021 Fleet Fly-In Coordinator............LT Maria Regis, USN Region 6 - OCONUS Director ...........................................CAPT Derek Brady, USN President ..................................CDR Jonathan Dorsey, USN

NHA Historical Society

President...........................CAPT Bill Personius, USN (Ret.) Vice President………….CDR Mike Brattland, USN (Ret.) Secretary ............................CDR Joe Skrzypek, USN (Ret.) Treasurer.........................CDR Chris Fitzgerald, USN (Ret.) S.D. Air & Space Museum..CAPT Jim Gillcrist, USN (Ret.) USS Midway Museum...CDR Chris Fitzgerald, USN (Ret.) Webmaster.......................CDR Mike Brattland, USN (Ret.)

NHAHS Committee Members

President .............................CAPT Arne Nelson, USN (Ret.) Executive VP/ VP Ops ...CAPT Todd Vandegrift, USN (Ret.) VP Plans.................................................CAPT Jon Kline, USN VP Scholarships .................................Ms Nancy Ruttenberg VP Finance ....................................CDR Greg Knutson, USN Treasurer .................................................Mr. Jim Rosenberg Webmaster.........................CDR Mike Brattland, USN (Ret.) Corresponding Secretary........................................VACANT CFC / Special Projects ..............................................VACANT CAPT A.E. Monahan, USN (Ret.) CAPT Mark R. Starr, USN (Ret.) CAPT A.F. Emig, USN (Ret.) Mr. H. Nachlin

Regional Officers

Region 1 - San Diego Directors ............................ .......CAPT Brannon Bickel, USN CAPT Sean Rocheleau, USN . CAPT Dewon Chaney, USN . CAPT Quinton Packard, USN President ...…..................................... CDR Tony Perez, USN

Navy Helicopter Association Founders CDR H.F. McLinden, USN (Ret.) CDR W. Straight, USN (Ret.) CDR P.W. Nicholas, USN (Ret.) 5

CAPT Dennis DuBard, USN (Ret.) CAPT Mike Reber, USN (Ret.) CAPT Arne Nelson, USN (Ret.) CAPT Jim O’Brien, USN (Ret.) CAPT Brian Miller, USN CDR Mike Brattland, USN (Ret.) CDR John Ball, USN (Ret.) CDR Chris Fitzgerald, USN (Ret.) CDR Drew Hamblen, USN CDR D.J. Hayes, USN (Ret.) CAPT C.B. Smiley, USN (Ret.) CAPT J.M. Purtell, USN (Ret.) CDR H.V. Pepper, USN (Ret.)

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Chairman’s Brief Change of Command

By RADM Pat McGrath, USN (Ret.)

t is hard to believe, but I am finishing my third year with NHA. I am very excited to know that I will be leaving the Chairman position in the very capable hands of RADM Dan Fillion, USN (Ret.) He will certainly take the organization to new heights with his combination of inspiration, determination, and a joie de vivre that just can't be beat. I cannot overstate what an honor it was for me to be asked to fill the Chairman position. As a young junior officer, I always looked forward to the NHA conventions and looked up to the leadership in the organization as the "tall timber" of our community. I hope that I did my part during my tenure as Chairman. I am most proud of the team we selected to man the tiller of the NHA Scholarship Fund, which is going strong and has a great future. I am also very proud of the manner in which the entire NHA Team and Board weathered the COVID Ciisis and am confident that we are in a strong position for the future. I would be remiss in not acknowledging Jim Gillcrist, Bill Personius, Arne Nelson, Allyson Darroch, Mike Brattland and Linda Vydra. They are the lifeblood of NHA and should take all the credit for all of the great things that NHA does and will do in the future.

Did You Know? When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon. com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to the Naval Helicopter Association Historical Society. Sign-up today! It does not cost you anything and a percentage of your purchase price is donated to NHAHS! Rotor Review #153 Summer '21

Executive Director’s View Green Deck, Returning to Normal Ops” By CAPT Jim Gillcrist, USN (Ret.)

fter nearly 16 months of working remotely from home, the NHA Staff is back at full strength in our NAS North Island Office. It is a beautiful sunny day here and it feels great to be back in business with a “green deck.” Additionally, here are a few other noteworthy recovery data points:

• •

• On 30 April, the World Famous I-Bar reopened at NAS North Island. • On 11 June, my wife and I attended a Winging Ceremony at NAS Whiting Field replete with all three HT Squadrons in attendance (to include 16 Wingers) along with family and friends – NO MASKS. It was refreshing to enjoy the first normal Winging since COVID and memorable to pin a well-used set of “gold wings” on my son, Paul. On 25 June, HSC Wing Pacific conducted a hugely successful Soft Patch Ceremony at the World Famous I-Bar – very cool to see so many folks in flight suits, griping and grinning, hanging out together, and connecting. On 28 June, Air Boss gave a “thumbs up” for Tailhook and NHA to conduct live events this Fall, namely Hook’21 (9-11 September) and the 2021 NHA Symposium (6-9 October).

This year’s Symposium theme is “Force of the Future” which will provide a forum to discuss topics such as Air Wing of the Future, Project Overmatch, NAVPLAN 2021, fielding of the Advanced Helicopter Training System (AHTS), Future of Vertical Lift - Maritime Strike (FVL-MS), initial deployments for CMV-22B and MQ-8C, Helo CONOPS, and much more. The intent is to shine a spotlight on future programs and ongoing work that will impact the various Services and Communities – all of which contribute to a Naval Rotary Wing / Tilt Rotor Force which brings critical warfighting value to the fight. • • •

I think you will enjoy this issue of Rotor Review – allow me to highlight several feature articles: On Leadership Column: “Let Go of the Good Old Days” by RADM Chatfield Commodore’s Corner: “Unmanned Integration within HSC Community” by CAPT Rocheleau And a host of articles from JOs across the Fleet who are pushing the thought leadership envelope on warfighting.

Membership is the lifeblood of the organization, and it starts at the squadron level (in the wardrooms & aircrew shops). Allow me to take a moment to recognize our three Winging Clerks at NAS Whiting Field who help promote NHA to new wingers. The efforts of Ms. Barbara Pace (HT-8), Mr. Antquil Cage (HT-18), and Mr. Joe Sanders (HT-28) are deeply appreciated. Connecting with new and expired members remains a team sport. Active members at all levels HT Winging Clerks, New Winger, & Executive Director” are in a great position to help drive membership. Winging Ceremony / NAS Whiting Field (6-11-21) For those of you who are on the fence about joining or renewing – just “get to yes” and become a member of your professional organization! • Please keep your membership / profile up to date. • If you should need any assistance at all, give us a call at (619) 435-7139 and we will be happy to help – you will get Linda, Mike, Allyson, or myself. Warm regards with high hopes, Jim Gillcrist.

“Every Member Counts / Stronger Together” 7

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National President's Message The Road to Symposium

By CAPT Will “Easy” Eastham, USN

reetings Team NHA! I’m writing to you from well above our normal rotary wing cruising altitude at 35K on a Southwest Airlines Flight. Presently, I am returning from my son’s baseball tournament in Florida, and headed back to home plate San Diego but am thinking about NHA and our Fall. Long flight but good times and above all, it just feels good to get out and responsibly travel again, right? Speaking of traveling, I hope you share my sentiments and are ready to travel this October out to sunny San Diego for Symposium! We have received the “full green light” for a productive, live event at Viejas Casino and Resort and are steaming down the Road to Symposium 2021. A little bit of sun and fun this Fall sounds pretty good, right? Make your plans now, and I also urge you to register online early and often for all of your favorite events. You should see that call by the time you are reading this but if you have not, leave this digital article immediately, and go register now so you are not locked out of any of the amazing events we have planned. “Force of the Future” stands as our theme this year. Appropriately, this edition of Rotor Review is particularly oriented that way as we explore the impact of UAVs within the NAE. I will be honest, the MQ-8 Bravo and Charlie models were a whole new ball game to me when I arrived at HSC-3 having never deployed with them previously. Sure, it is a program that has endured developmental challenges as the rotary community brought a whole new T/M into the portfolio and online. But, as a sage mentor of mine once told me, I am continuously buying the UAV stock as a force multiplier and game changer in our business. So, if you are like me at one point, see what you can learn through this edition, and I bet it is substantial. Time to power down the laptop for landing but always time to power up our excitement for Symposium this Fall! Fly safe & all the best, V/r, Easy NHA National President NHA Lifetime Member #25

Rotor Review #153 Summer '21

VP for membership's Report Membership and Mentorship By CDR Michael Short, USN

embership is the "lifeblood" of our organization. I say ours because if you are reading this, most likely you are a member already. I want to focus on a few important items. First: Is some housekeeping. I would ask all the unit Executive Officers to email membership@navalhelicopterassn.org and update us with your current NHA Representative. This is critical as these reps serve as a direct link between me, NHA Staff, and your Ready Rooms. Second: Launch of the Max Beep Membership Drive and the sponsored prizes we have for you. Fly-in.

Third: Lifetime Membership benefits prior to Symposium and through Gulf Coast Fleet

Last: A reminder to check out the Improved NHA Website and update your member profile to enter the Mentorship Portal. Max Beep Membership Drive We want to encourage Ready Rooms to approach membership in NHA as a team. Every member counts and we are stronger together. Unlike year’s past when we gave out plaques for hitting Max Beep threshholds, we have decided to reward Ready Rooms with a cash incentive. We have been able to secure $3000.00 from sponsors to do this. 1. 1st Place Prize = $1500.00 to your Ready Room Mess Fund 2. 2nd Place Prize = $1000.00 to your Ready Room Mess Fund 3. 3rd Place Prize = $500.00 to your Ready Room Mess Fund Your NHA Rep will need to email membership@navalhelicopterassn.org to get the NHA Max Beep Form. Once instructions are followed, please email back the form and your entry will be logged as received. Awards will be given to the FIRST three Ready Rooms with 100% membership. The tiebreaker will be the number of Enlisted members reported. Have your NHA Reps direct all questions to membership@navalhelicopterassn.org. The Max Beep window will open 1 August and go until 1 October. This is for all regions! Lifetime Members: Please sign up as soon as you can for Symposium! Visit the NHA website https://www.navalhelicopterassn. org/ to register for events. As a Lifetime Member, when you check in at the Symposium you will receive 2 free drink tickets. Thinking about upgrading your current membership to a Lifetime Membership? We are combining Symposium and Gulf Coast Fleet Fly-In to create a discount timeframe this year. An LTM discount of $100 off the $700 Active Duty Officer price tag will be available from August 1st to November 4th. Please call the NHA Office @ 619-435-7139 and take advantage of the discount! Finally, if you have not checked out our updated website you are in for a treat, (www.navalhelicopterassn.org)! Check it out! Log in to the Members Only Tab, on the far right, and update your profile! Click on your job experiences. Doing so will allow other members who have questions about future jobs to reach out to you and seek active guidance/mentoring. Check out the Events Tab and register for Symposium. You can also access the Symposium information by just scrolling down. If you have an image or video you want to share, we are always seeking content for the homepage. Please send motivational videos or pictures to rotorreview@navalhelicopterassn.org for addition to the website or to possibly get published an upcoming Rotor Review. I hope everyone can feel the excitement and energy in the air! NHA Staff and Region One Volunteers are working hard to polish the details for the upcoming Symposium on October 6-9, 2021. Please talk to your peers, who are members of the Ready Room, Aircrew Shops, and Maintenance Departments. Every member counts. WE ARE STRONGER TOGETHER!

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In Review UAVs and You

By LT Mike "Bubbles" Short, USN

Esteemed Readership,

hope the summer has been treating you well!

I am thrilled to present our Summer 2021 issue, RR #153: “UAVs and You.” Within this issue, you’ll find an abundance of stimulating discourse on the present and future of unmanned operations within the Rotary Wing Communities. There is no doubt that UAS employment will be a cornerstone of our force structure in the fight to come, and it is critical that our magazine and organization shine a spotlight on those pushing us forward in that respect. I’d personally like to thank the contributors at HSC-22, a command among those at the forefront of unmanned integration, for such a strong showing in this issue. The squadron has enthusiastically embraced the unmanned mission and integration therein, and its members have jumped at the opportunity to provide our staff and readers with content that is sure to enrich, inform, and entertain. As you enjoy RR #153, I urge you to bear in mind that we are a community that evolves through the thought leadership that this publication strives to facilitate. Symposium 2021, themed “Force of the Future,” is right around the corner. It will be the first opportunity in quite a while for the Naval Helicopter Association to congregate en masse and share the ideas and perspectives that will drive our organization ahead. The next issue of Rotor Review will carry the same theme. In it, we’ll look to capitalize on those critical conversations surrounding the future of the communities that NHA encompasses. If you’ve ever felt compelled to contribute something of your own to our magazine, now is the time! Thank you for reading, and for your unwavering support of Rotor Review. I hope to see you all at Symposium! Very respectfully, LT Mike “Bubbles” Short Editor-in-Chief, Rotor Review

RADIO CHECK Tell Us What You Think!

Next Issue's Radio Check: The theme of Rotor Review #154 is “Force of the Future.” As warfighting communities evolve to meet the demands of modern and future conflict, continuous innovation is essential. But new ideas that challenge the status quo are often initially met with skepticism and resistance prior to being accepted. Throughout your careers, what is one significant advancement in technology, procedures, or policy that you have encountered? How did your command adapt to this change? Was the development met with open arms, or did your organization experience considerable growing pains? We want to hear from you! Please provide your response to either of the following email addresses: michael.v.short.mil@us.navy.mil or rotorreview@navalhelicopterassn.org V/r, LT Mike “Bubbles” Short Editor-in-Chief, Rotor Review For this installment of Radio Check, we asked to hear from you regarding what makes a great Crew Chief. How did that Crew Chief help you get to where you are today? Rotor Review #153 Summer '21

Letters to the Editors It is always great to hear from our membership! We need your input to ensure that Rotor Review keeps you informed, connected and entertained. We maintain many open channels to contact the magazine staff for feedback, suggestions, praise, complaints or publishing corrections. Please advise us if you do not wish to have your input published in the magazine. Your anonymity will be respected. Post comments on the NHA Facebook page or send an email to the Editor-in-Chief; his email is michaelshort91@gmail.com or the Managing Editor; rotorreview@navalhelicopterassn.org. You can use snail mail too. Rotor Review’s mailing address is: Letters to the Editor, c/o Naval Helicopter Association, Inc., P.O. Box 180578, Coronado, CA 92178-0578.

Notice to All Expired NHA Members NHA is asking members with expired memberships to renew NOW! Membership is the life blood to remain viable and relevant. Having to cancel the 2020 National Symposium had a significant impact on our annual operating revenue – 90% of which comes from this one event. Renewing NOW has become a strategic goal to keep NHA solvent. We are reaching out to all expired members for your help. NHA remains a member supported non-profit organization. Renewing for an Annual ($40.00), 3-Year ($110.00), or 5-Year ($175.00) Membership and encouraging your many shipmates within the Rotary Wing and Tiltrotor Community to do the same will help us reach our goal. We are dependent upon individual membership to keep us strong and operating in support of our active duty, reserve, retired, and civilian members. To renew your membership, please take one of the following actions: • Call NHA at (619) 435-7139 and we will assist you over the phone. • E-mail NHA at membership@navalhelicopterassn.org. • Go online and join as a member at www. navalhelicopterassn.org. With your financial support, we will make it through the worst of the pandemic and return to member-based events in the new year. Thank you!

2021 Themes, Submission Deadlines and Publishing Dates Issue Submissions Deadline / Publication Dates The Force of the Future - Fall 2021 (#154) ............October 15, 2021 / November 20, 2021 Tilt or Rotary? - Winter 2022 (#155) .........................November 30, 2021 / January 10 2022 Over the Horizon Aircraft - Spring 2022 (#156) ............................March 5 / April 15 2022 The Mighty 53 - Summer 2022 (#157) .................................................June 27 / July 30, 2022

All submissions can be sent to your community editor via email or to Rotor Review by email at rotorreview@navalhelicopterassn.org or by USPS mail to Naval Helicopter Association Attn: Rotor Review P.O. Box 180578, Coronado, CA 92178-0578

Articles and news items are welcomed from NHA’s general membership and corporate associates. Articles should be of general interest to the readership and geared toward current Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard affairs, technical advances in the helicopter industry or of historical interest. Humorous articles are encouraged.

Rotor Review and Website Submission Guidelines

1. 2.

Articles: Use MS Word for text only. Do not embed your images within the document. Send them as a separate attachment. Photos and Vector Images: Should be as high a resolution as possible and sent as a separate file from the article. Please include a suggested caption that has the following information: date, names, ranks or titles, location and credit the photographer or source of your image. 3. Videos: Must be in a mp4, mov, wmv or avi format. • With your submission, please include the title and caption of all media, photographer’s name, command and the length of the video. • Verify the media does not display any classified information. • Ensure all maneuvers comply with NATOPS procedures. • All submissions shall be tasteful and in keeping with good order and discipline. • All submissions should portray the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard and individual units in a positive light.

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View from the Cabin Empowering the Aircrew Mind

By AWS1(NAC/AW) Patrick M. Miller, USN he powerful and unique position of the Naval Aircrewman is an invaluable asset and investment Naval Leadership has made, and one we must not take for granted in cultivating. The skills required for Aircrew qualifications are more than just physical attributes and abilities. Identifying cognitive skills training, and expanding on the mission-focused mindset and knowledge-based growth capabilities of Aircrewmen are critical to the current and future of U.S. Naval Sea Power. Naval Sea Power through WWII had not evolved since the 16th century. with ships designed to take the fight to the enemy's shore in defiance of our rivals. The development of air capable assets to the naval inventory extended this ability inland and allowed the US Navy to step into the world dominant power it is today. This evolution, through our ability to develop newer and higher powered ships, Expeditionary Sea-Bases, and the up-and-coming Fleet of unmanned vehicles, points to the fact that our most important asset in the Fleet – our Sailors – must match naval innovation with increased cognitive capabilities. The modernization of the Aircrewmen is upon us, and it takes more than just a guy to ride in the back to accomplish the missions we have in our immediate future. Application of the multi-mission function for Aircrew is accomplished through constant and consistent training. We must have a mind willing to be hungry for the next level of training, developing the next piece of equipment, or next techniques and skills required to be the top dogs in the fight. Our needs are expanding from our medical training to national level Emergency Medical Technicians, Traumatic Combat Casualty Care, and rescue techniques to new weapons systems like the M134, MQ-8C and airborne mine hunting and neutralization systems, and even down to our own survival and safety gear with upgrades to our helmets and vests. Innovation raises the level of requirement for Aircrew to expand and think outside the box for training and to include new and modernized methods of cognitive approach learning. We experience the challenge twofold. The hunt for talent is the first hurdle, getting the individuals willing to accept the challenge of being a Naval Aircrewman, both physically and mentally. This requires ensuring the recruitment process and pipeline filters accurately understand our needs and then screen our new accessions to meet them. Responsibility for these accessions then falls to the training pipelines, which must ensure that students aren’t just passing to keep a “butt in a seat.” The pipeline must succeed in grooming the right mindset into our fighting force.

The latest generations of Aircrew are coming in already exposed to highly technical systems which we can capture and expand on for our needs. The adage of having more computing power in your pocket than the entire Apollo Space Program holds true. The issue is this: how do we utilize this Rotor Review #153 Summer '21

cognitive experiential knowledge with which these new Sailors come equipped? The upgrades for operational systems are not only vital, but our learning systems and our instructors will need to embrace them. The development of virtual training systems aligned with the Ready Relevant Learning Program is a key requirement that divisions within all training commands should be eager to employ. Expanding the capabilities of our systems creates the space for innovation to grow. Learning systems are essential for building the next generation of warriors in the Fleet, but how do we empower those of us already here? The Aircrew currently operating are a key resource for what we need, and their ideas need to be cultivated and brought to the table for discussion. All too often we have the feeling of a tiny voice that just isn’t heard in the bureaucracy of “Big Navy.” This job falls to our Fleet Aircrew leadership. Empowering the Aircrew mind is essential. This involves not just having systems that allow Sailors to provide feedback but also ignites the question of “what can we do to improve?” The capture of proficiency versus currency by the Weapons Schools as feedback must be included in identifying our training weak spots and then address them within ACTC and FRS Curriculum updates. The systems and equipment we use on a daily basis need to have fresh ideas and updates pushed back to their program offices to ensure we are on the forefront of our respective battle spaces. And nobody is in a better position than the Aircrews flying those systems to provide that feedback. The other hurdle looming exists within the Fleet. The challenge is in our own ability to ensure that our people are vested, willing, and eager to step into more advanced and modernized training that is required to maintain our postured position throughout the world. So, how do we know what we require? What is the justification to ensure that budgets match and allow for what we need? Making changes requires full participation in the Fleet. Operational squadrons are the forefront of knowing what is needed to complete the missions tasked, and knowing the battlespace in which they are operating. This information is critical to be fed back into the training pipeline in order to ensure that curriculums match. But, this does not simply concern current issues. There needs to be a Future Capabilities Capture that squadrons develop. To remain on the cutting edge, the technological advances we need for projecting power cannot be reactionary, and as such, our squadrons’ voices for these advancements must be louder than ever. Capturing that “Aircrew complaint” is the empowerment of the mind. Developing this culture within the Fleet is a must. Our leadership is willing to take on that challenge to empower everyone in all commands to open the discussion for what we need: the equipment and techniques to be better, faster, and stronger for the projection of sea power tomorrow. Work smarter, not harder – ignite the mental hunger! 12

Naval Helicopter Association Scholarship Fund The NHA Scholarship Fund Always Has Two Things to Say: “Donate" and "Apply!” By CAPT Arne Nelson, USN (Ret.), President

he mission of the Naval Helicopter Association Scholarship Fund (NHASF) is to award college scholarships to eligible members of the naval helicopter community and their families (USN, USMC, and USCG) to "Old Buck" pursue their educational goals. “Apply and Donate!” Our vision is to position NHA SF to be a premier scholarship choice in Naval Aviation in 5 years and to provide a sound, growing fund base to incrementally increase the dollar value of the 15 annual awards total to reach $75K in 5 years The next NHA Scholarship Fund application period starts on 1 September 2021 and goes through 31 January 2022. Prescreen will close a week prior on 24 January 2022. Applicants Must Be: • Active Duty / Reserve Navy, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard rotary wing / tilt-rotor aviator, aircrewman, or maintenance/ support personnel, or, • Prior Active Duty / Reserve Navy, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard rotary wing / tilt-rotor aviator, aircrewman, or maintenance/support personnel, or, • A natural / step / adopted child, grandchild, or spouse of an Active Duty / Reserve / prior or retired; Navy, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard rotary wing/tilt-rotor aviator, aircrewman, or maintenance/support personnel, • The applicant must be a high school graduate or prospective high school graduate; high school equivalent graduate; or current college undergraduate / graduate student, and the applicant must be pursuing a trade certificate, associate degree, bachelor's degree, or graduate degree from an accredited institution. Eligibility Criteria Per the NHA BoD, the applicant and / or sponsor must be an NHA Lifetime Member (Feb 2020 – on) or a member in good standing for a minimum of three years by January 31st of the year applying for a scholarship. Exceptions are: a first tour active-duty O-1 / O-2, who is a 2 Year "Nugget" Member of NHA, and his / her family are exempt from the three-year eligibility requirement or an active duty Enlisted (E-6 and below), with a current or past helicopter affiliation (stationed in a helicopter or MV-22 squadron or other helicopter aviation unit) and their family members, are exempt from the NHA membership requirement, though a recommendation or endorsement from his / her command is required confirming the sponsor / applicant is currently serving in a USN, USMC, or USCG helicopter or MV-22 squadron or other helicopter aviation unit. An applicant who receives an appointment to a service academy is not eligible for an award through NHA. Pre-Qualification Requirements The pre-¬qualification will include the following information from the applicant. • Applicants who have previously qualified must still submit a new pre-qualification form. Please do not use the existing account and overwrite that information, our system will not recognize it as a new entry. • However, the new candidate does not need to resubmit documentation of the sponsor’s service in Naval Aviation. Please indicate the name of the family member who has pre-qualified in the "Verification of Assignment in Naval Air Forces or Subordinate Command(s)" section of the pre-qualification form. New applicants MUST still submit proof of dependency by the pre-qualification deadline of 24 January. Reapplying Please re-activate your account. This must be done each scholarship season an applicant plans to apply. Notifications Applicants will receive an email regarding the status of their pre-qualification application within 7 business days of your submission. If an applicant does not receive an email, please contact us at scholarship@nhasf.org to ensure it was received. Questions Please email us at president@nhascholarshipfund.org with any questions. Be sure to put as the subject line “NHASF and your last name." The Naval Helicopter Association Scholarship Fund does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, national or ethnic origin, or religion in the administration of any of its educational policies, programs, and operations. 13

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Congratulations to our

Margaret Aaron, Raytheon - STEM Purdue

Vivian Curtis Kaman Memorial University of Florida

Daisy Holder CAE Salisbury State

Julia Frey Sikorsky Ohio State Rotor Review #153 Summer '21

Shane Ball Mark Starr - Peluso University of Colorado

AWR1 Nemanja Bojic, USN USS Midway Central Texas College

LCDR Mike Freeman, USCG NHA Graduate ASU MSEE

Natalie Hill NHA Angelo State MBA

Nadia Jacobs Sikorsky Penn State

Olivia Moore NHA Virginia Commonwealth U 14

Luke O’Keefe NHA University of Florida

YN2 Celeste Vice,USN NHA University of Arizona

Scholarship Winners!

Peter Schnappauf NHA Embry Riddle

Kendall Schubert Ream University of California

Sam Steen FLIR Memorial University of Florida

Lauren Thompson FLIR Corp University of North Carolina

Joshua Thompson NHA University of Florida

Madison Thompson E T Jordon Georgetown Medicine

AE3 Holley Troiano, USN USS Midway E C Polytechnic Institute

Eleanor Vandegrift NHA University of San Diego

Carly Vigeant NHA Arizona State

NHA Scholarship Fund

Where are we now and where are we going? 2019 $37,000 Various

2020 $39,500 15 / $2500 1 / $2,000

2021 $54,000 15 / $3,000 6 / $1,500

2022 $52,500 15 /$ 3,500

2023 $60,000 15 / $4,000

2024 $67,500 15 / $4,500

2025 $75,000 15 / $5,000

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Naval Helicopter Association Historical Society Helo on a Stick By CAPT Bill Personius, USN (Ret.) LTM-#46, R-16213 President

am both pleased and honored to announce what is the initial step (and normally the most difficult one to achieve) of our most recent NHAHS project. After what has been about 5 months of hard work, we have finally been authorized to take custody of a SH-60F Oceanhawk Helicopter to display on a pedestal (affectionately called a “helo on a stick”) here at the front gate at NAS North Island / Naval Base Coronado. A display that is long overdue from many people’s perspective given that NASNI / NBC Coronado is a “Master Helicopter Base!” The aircraft, (BUNO 164073), is the Clyde Lassen Medal of Honor (MOH) aircraft used at the 100th Year Celebration of Naval Aviation in 2011. This same aircraft was also the display aircraft at the HS-10 Disestablishment Ceremony on 14 July 2012. Currently, the aircraft is in long term preservation status in the Davis Monthan AFB “Aircraft Boneyard” in Tucson, Arizona. RADM John “Mac” McLaughlin, USNR (Ret.), President and CEO of the USS Midway Museum (and previous Chairman of NHA), is supporting this effort both monetarily and with his artisans in NASNI Hangar 805 who will perform the actual restoration of the aircraft once it gets to North Island. The Base Commanding Officer CAPT John W. “Cosmo” De Pree, USN, supports the effort and has asked in return the Wings and Squadrons on base continue to maintain the aircraft at Flag Circle and at the Front Gate in pristine condition. USS Midway is going to fund the initial repairs as well as provide the required long-term maintenance to include (area / section painting) to keep all the display aircraft looking good. The Squadrons and Wings will do quarterly inspections, minor repairs, and wash jobs every six months. We are exploring options with local Active Duty / Retired / Chief Selects to organize an ongoing “Community Service Project” (continually improving the event and results each year) that will occur on Memorial and Veteran’s Day long weekends with volunteers doing the wash jobs and with NHA / NHAHS providing lunch and cold beverages for those who help out. The idea is that the volunteers will get credit for “Community Service Time” toward their Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal while also being able to take advantage of some additional time off tacked onto an already long weekend once they finish-up the wash jobs. At this time, we are asking you to $upport the effort by making a donation toward what we estimate is going to be a $100K+ price tag to engineer and construct the stanchion to hold the aircraft directly across from the VADM Stockdale A-4 Skyhawk at the front gate. Placing the SH-60F aircraft in this location will produce a “bookend / mirror image effect” at the front gate of the base with the Lassen SH-60F MOH aircraft paying tribute to one of our helicopter heroes like the A-4 pays tribute to VADM Stockdale also a MOH recipient. Use your credit card or Pay Pal Account and click this link https://www.nhahistoricalsociety.org/help-bring-the-lassensh-60f-to-north-island/ You can also click on the “Make a Donation” on the yellow box on the adjoining page advertisement/ flyer (if viewing the magazine electronically) to make your donation. You can also write a check to the Naval Helicopter Association Historical Society, Inc., (NHAHS) - NASNI “Helo On A Stick Project” and drop it off at the NHA Office in building 654 next door to the NEX Uniform Shop on base or mail it to: Naval Helicopter Association Historical Society, Inc. (NHAHS) Attn: NASNI “Helo On A Stick Project” P.O. Box 180578 Coronado, CA 92178-0578 Let’s make this project a success as this is a win-win for NASNI, Rotary Wing and Naval Aviation overall. I am excited about making this happen and so should you! Thank you for your continued support of NHA and NHAHS!!!! Keep your turns up! Regards, Bill Personius Rotor Review #153 Summer '21

Paypal Donation Link

Computer Rendition of NASNI Stockdale Entrance with SH-60F on a Pedestal

Mail checks to: Naval Helicopter Association Historical Society, Inc. (NHAHS) NASNI "Helo on a Stick" P.O. Box 180578, Coronado, CA 92178-0578 To donate with Paypay visit https://www.nhahistoricalsociety.org/indexphp/donations/ and click on the Paypal icon or copy and paste this link in your browser https://www.paypal.com/donate?token=dUz7iSsDDUkFxuXCIsSpZE5lRrmAZ7M5diK1LRJ315ULqrsnyvU3nuz4WHPu0z4ZBCW7xiw34NubTIs 17

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View from the Labs A Perfect Storm

By CAPT George Galdorisi, USN (Ret.)

his issue of Rotor Review has as its theme, “UAVs and You.” Add to that the 2021 NHA Symposium theme of “Force of the Future” and we have a perfect storm to talk about how unmanned systems (UAVs among them, but also USVs and UUVs) will impact the Rotary Wing Community, as well as the Navy and DoD writ large. It is worth unpacking how we got to where we are today in order to understand how we can shape the future use of UxVs. Today one of the most rapidly growing areas of innovative technology adoption by the U.S. military involves unmanned systems. In the past several decades, the U.S. military’s use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has increased from only a handful to more than 10,000, while the use of unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) has exploded from zero to more than 12,000. The use of unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) and unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) is also growing, as USVs and UUVs are proving to be increasingly useful for a wide array of military applications. The expanding use of military unmanned systems (UxS or UxV) is already creating strategic, operational, and tactical possibilities that did not exist a decade ago. The expanding use of armed, unmanned systems is not only changing the face of modern warfare, but is also altering the process of decision-making in combat operations. Indeed, it has been argued that the rise in drone warfare is changing the way we conceive of and define “warfare" itself. These systems have been used extensively in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, and will continue to be equally relevant—if not more so—as the United States’ strategic focus shifts toward the Indo-AsiaPacific region and the high-end warfare this strategy requires. Unmanned system—and especially their utility, not as stand-alone entities, but as warfighters partners in what has been dubbed “man-machine-teaming”—is a foundational tenet of the United States “Third Offset Strategy.” The U.S. Navy is committed to integrating unmanned systems in the Fleet for a host of reasons. This is seen in the Navy’s official Force Structure Assessment, as well as in a series of “Future Fleet Architecture Studies.” In each of these studies, one by the Chief of Naval Operations Staff, one by the MITRE Corporation, and one by the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, the proposed Navy future Fleet architecture had large numbers of air, surface, and subsurface unmanned systems as part of the Navy force structure. America’s new maritime strategy, Advantage at Sea, reconfirms the Navy’s commitment to unmanned systems as an important part of the Sea Service’s assets, noting, in part, “Cost-effective platforms and manned-unmanned teaming will increase the capacity of the Fleet and expand our ability to distribute our forces…Naval forces will mix larger platforms with standoff capabilities and smaller, more-affordable platforms—including optionally manned or unmanned assets—that increase our offensive lethality and speed of maneuver.” In January 2021, the Chief of Naval Operations issued CNO NAVPLAN (Navigation Plan) designed to chart the course for how the Navy will execute the Tri-Service Maritime Strategy Advantage at Sea. Not surprisingly, this document identifies unmanned systems as an important part of the Navy’s future plans. Most recently, in March 2021, the Department of the Navy released its UNMANNED Campaign Framework describing the Service’s vision for integrating these platforms into the Fleet. That is the good news. The “other” news is that the Navy must deal with a U.S. Congress that has raised concerns that the Navy is moving forward too rapidly and buying too many unmanned systems before it comes up with solid concepts of operations for how it intends to actually use these platforms once they enter the Fleet. Here is how one analyst put it in an article in Defense News: "Unmanned surface vessels are all the rage in the office of the Secretary of Defense, and the U.S. Navy has lined up behind the effort. But Congress remains skeptical until it sees the Navy make progress on the basics." In the latest sign of Congressional ambivalence on unmanned surface warships, the House Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee called for restricting funding for procurement of any large unmanned surface vessels—LUSVs—until the Navy can certify it has worked out an appropriate hull, mechanical and electrical system and that it can operate autonomously for 30 days consecutively.

Rotor Review #153 Summer '21

Furthermore, the Navy must demonstrate a reliable operating system and that any systems integrated into the platform—sonars, radars, etc.—are likewise functioning and reliable, according to the text of the Seapower Subcommittee’s mark of the FY21 National Defense Authorization Act, Congress’s annual defense policy bill. In short, the language would mean the Navy could not spend procurement dollars on a large unmanned surface vessel until they have a working model and not try to develop those technologies on the fly. It’s the same kind of subsystem development language that was championed in the Senate Armed Services Committee’s mark of the FY21 NDAA, that requires the Navy to qualify the main engines and generators for certain unmanned surface vessels prior to vessel procurement, according to a summary of the mark. These Congressional concerns—to say nothing of those of “Big Navy” and DoD—should be in the forefront of our minds as we seek to integrate UAVs into the Naval Rotary Wing Community. We are now deploying Fire Scout, and accumulating lessons learned. But we are only beginning to scratch the surface of getting the most out of our UxVs. Experts in the field all agree that our unmanned systems will only deliver maximum value as integrated assets with man-machine teaming at the forefront. Here is how one naval professional put it in a U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings article entitled, “Trust Autonomous Machines:” "Reversing the U.S. Navy’s trend toward becoming a brittle Fleet of a small number of expensive high-end platforms will

require innovation and ingenuity. Human-machine teaming can move the Navy in that direction by allowing limited artificial intelligence (AI)-controlled unmanned systems to act as “loyal wingmen” to manned platforms and eventually to take over more of the dull, dangerous, and dirty work. But that will require innovative command, control, and communications (C3) architectures to enable computers (the fourth C in C4) to receive proper guidance from human commanders, who must learn to trust their autonomous machines… Given the lethal precision strike that modern warfare demands, extensive employment of autonomous unmanned systems is key for the Navy to avoid becoming a brittle fleet. The Navy must explore a wide range of roles and missions for the unmanned force or it will be forced to play catch up with the rest of the world." My point is this: If the Naval Rotary Wing Community wants to get its fair share of the U.S. Navy’s substantial investment in unmanned systems, it must evolve convincing concepts-of-operations (CONOPS) for how it intends to employ these assets. From where I sit at NIWC Pacific— where a substantial percentage of workforce is focused on unmanned systems—we will not fully realize the potential of these systems if we just look at them as a “thing” we send on a mission. Rather, as the author of “Trust Autonomous Machines” suggests, we must figure out how to make them our “loyal wingmen.” Whether it occurs during our 2021 Symposium or in other venues, the Naval Helicopter Association is the right organization to drive this dialogue. Channeling Nike: “Just Do It!”

Fun & Sun Members Reunion Proudly supported by When: Wednesday, October 6, 2021 1800-2100 Where: WIllows Pool at Viejas Register for Symposium to attend Cost: $55 per person

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On Leadership "On Leadership” is a feature column where Rotary Wing Flag Officers are able to submit articles on leadership topics of their choosing.

Let Go of the Good Old Days! The Time is Now

By RADM Shoshana S. Chatfield, USN, President, Naval War College

t the time when I entered the service, our country was going through an era where the global security environment was characterized by a bi-polar balance of power. The USSR was our known adversary, and during that Cold War, our Navy and Joint Force had developed mature tactics against that adversary. The investments to defeat that adversary had already been made, and the agreements to prevent escalation and to inform our conduct at sea and in the air had already been developed and tested. The collapse of the USSR brought with it a feeling that a peace dividend would yield incredible economic and technical growth. The next two decades would be transitional in many ways for our country, and as a young aviator, I had a front-row seat to observe and learn what could be achieved when technical evolution is met with determination and innovation during an era of cooperative security. Helicopter Combat Support was where I developed the awareness, habits, and skills that would carry me through a 34-year career. There I became aware that small teams, collaboration, and standardization were the bedrock of our naval helicopter community. I also observed that when properly enabled and implemented, these building blocks set a foundation for me to continue to evolve as a naval officer. I came of age during the last days of pure Vertical Replenishment deployments and an active Combat Logistics Fleet that supported our strike groups. Looking back, I now realize that I had arrived at the end of the good old days. The small HC Detachments that deployed together over the horizon on fat ships introduced me to the power of small teams with high trust shared between their members. There was no denying that our group success depended on both individual contributions of Sailors and the total commitment of the entire group to mission success. I saw the amazing accomplishments that were possible when Sailors took ownership of their mission outcomes. It wasn’t unusual to see the Detachment petty officer in charge of maintenance administration, for example, cleaning the windscreen of the helicopter before launch or to notice that people were competing to find a spot near the ramp to help push the folded H-46 into the hangar at the end of flight operations. The most successful detachments also understood that mission success depended on the integration of teams of teams—cohesiveness to engender high trust within the smaller team and connective tissue and shared purpose to enhance the overall capability of the larger team. My next tour expanded my understanding of crosscommunity collaboration and integration. In the ‘90’s, the community was investing in its nascent tactics program. Rotor Review #153 Summer '21

Our community was racing to be able to provide aided search and rescue support to Amphibious Ready Groups where the Marines were already using technology we did not have. And that was where our new capability would be delivered first. The few who were chosen were introduced to Night Vision Devices through training programs sponsored by the Marine Corps. The incompatible cockpit and the extra work to install a light kit, the rolls of speed tape used to patch light leaks and learning to place a counterweight on the helmet to relieve neck strain were just some of the innovative solutions our crews utilized as we raced to catch up. I was able to see firsthand how challenges that go hand-in-hand with the introduction of new technology and implementation of new programs can be solved with the right partnerships. Since my first days in primary training, through my first flying tours, subsequent department head tour, and onward, standardization has been the constant over my career that has allowed me to prep, brief, and fly in an array of mission sets, all while maximizing the effectiveness and safety of our crew. Strong standardization programs that refine and assess repeatable processes have protected my crewmembers and me for decades, and I am grateful for having internalized that habit. I still look for systemic root causes—breakdowns in standardization—when I encounter challenges in any unit’s business practices. Now, at the Naval War College, this practice provides a solid framework for my team to coordinate, direct, and manage large amounts of information and workflow and fits nicely into the academic realm where rigor in scholarly work depends on validity and reliability in research methodology.

In the mid-to-late-2000’s, there was great fear about the retirement of the H-46D Helicopter, our beloved “Phrog” that, since the end of its combat missions in Vietnam, had supported Vertical Replenishment with graceful aerial displays. It felt good to fly it and I knew it well. After rebounding through dynamic upgrades and service life extension programs ,it had already stretched its usefulness well past the reasonable standard. Yet my community developed a resistance to the idea of a replacement vertical lift platform, especially one with a tail rotor. Predictably, someone got the idea to make patches and lapel pins that had the silhouette of an H-60 with the red line through it. “No tail rotors!” became the slogan as the aircraft physically entered production. Program managers received harsh criticism during that time and most of the aviators did not start to accept the machine until it was introduced to the flight line and our esteemed community leaders had the opportunity to fly it and began to endorse it. What I ultimately realized through that awkward aircraft transition was that community success depended on our ability to recognize when and how we needed to take action to meet new challenges. Simon Sinek, who writes and lectures on the topic of innovation, advises leaders to understand that a relatively small number of people in our organizations are innovators. A slightly larger group, he tells us, are early adopters. His advice to concentrate on these two groups, instead of waiting for the middle majority to catch up, feels true as I consider the early days of our transition to the H-60S and organizational merger of several communities into HSC under the original Helo Master Plan. We are shifting into a dynamic and uncertain global security environment, one that is characterized by the need to rapidly and safely integrate new technologies, and the real urgency to be able to set benchmarks for performance and measure units against those standards. We have effectively moved past the good old days again. A part of the solution to that challenge can be found in the recently released Joint Chiefs of Staff

Vision and Guidance for Professional Military Education and Talent Management: Developing Today’s Joint Officers for Tomorrow’s Ways of War, which stresses the importance of leader development. The pursuit of warfighting advantage requires a sense of urgency and a commitment to cultivating “critical and creative thinking.” Game changing outcomes will be developed at the margins through collaboration, innovation, and integration. We should not expect to reach a “steady state” in this era of great power competition. In fact, futurists forecast that the pace of technological change will continue to accelerate. What will this mean as we balance our heightened focus on collaboration, innovation and integration with the need to build high performing, high trust teams and stay true to our established habit of standardization and certification? Change is inevitable in our business. Our community success has always depended on how we adapt to new environments. Let go of the good old days! Now is the time to actively set a culture that enables innovation; identifies and supports those who are connecters, networkers and collaborators; and leans on and celebrates our bedrock habits and skills of building high performing, small teams and strong standardization programs to manage change efficiently and safely. Citations: Milley, M. A, Hyten, J. E., McConville, J. C, Berger, D. H, Gilday, M. M., Goldfein, D. L., Lengyel, J. L., & Rayond, J. W. (2020). Joint Chiefs of Staff Vision and Guidance for Professional Military Education and Talent Management: Developing Today’s Joint Officers for Tomorrow’s Ways of War. Joint Chiefs of Staff. https://www. jcs.mil/doctrine/ Simon, S. O. (2020, January 10). How to Make a Cultural Transformation. YouTube. How to Make a Cultural Transformation

Female Aviator Mentorship Breakfast When: Friday, October 8, 2021 0830-1000 Where: WIllows Garden at Viejas Register for Symposium to attend Cost: $5 per person 21

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Commodore's Corner Unmanned Integration within the HSC Community By CAPT Sean Rocheleau, Commodore, HSC Wing Pacific

ello from Helicopter Sea Combat Wing Pacific (HSCWP). It is my privilege in this “Commodore’s Corner” to frame the present state of unmanned integration within our community, which operates the MQ-8 Fire Scout, as well as stimulate conversation toward the future. I say a conversation because unmanned operations will only continue to grow across our global Navy and DoD, which will demand constantly evolving and refining tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs). The proverbial elephant in the room is the recent spate of mishaps involving both the MQ-8 Bravo and Charlie models of Fire Scout. While I cannot go into privileged information in this forum, there are areas that deserve scrutiny to include institutional integrity, communication, and ownership. These focus areas are foundational and serve to anchor this conversation during the forensic postmortem of mishap investigation. What is institutional integrity, and how does it apply to our Fire Scout Program? In general terms, as defined by Georgetown University’s Dr. Carol Taylor, institutional integrity is a “strong ‘FIT’ between the system’s stated mission and decision making at all levels of the system.” Assumptions made as part of the original Fire Scout CONOPS, and several other unmanned systems, have since proven to be flawed and have thus led to a credible gap between capabilities resourced and what squadrons experience when operating Fire Scout. A great example of a flawed assumption is how simple MQ-8 would be to maintain and operate. The original CONOP likened unmanned operations to checking a book out from the library, placing little emphasis on resourcing live flight operations during the basic phase of readiness generation. Clearly, this approach has proven to be impractical. To remedy this situation, one of the first actions taken by the HSC Community, several years ago, involved properly resourcing live events at Point Mugu and Wallops Island for operational squadrons preparing to deploy. In this same vein, as we move forward with unmanned systems integration in the Navy, we must continually challenge previous assumptions and constraints to ensure they remain valid. This is critical, as every community within Naval Aviation will have some type of unmanned system, and many of our early CONOPS were established with little institutional knowledge of the complexities of operating these systems at sea. In fact, one of the most important weapon systems to the Air Wing of the Future (AWOTF) is MQ-25, which will enable longer range strikes. The knowledge we garner from lessons learned within our community from the Fire Scout Program, and externally through other services, will be key to more effectively integrating unmanned.

Rotor Review #153 Summer '21

Fire Scout and Seahawk

Former JCS Chairman, General Martin Dempsey, described communication using the analogy of an oak tree with a vast arrayed root structure, and the challenge of distance between root and very top of the tree. The “signal to noise ratio” experienced by senior leaders sometimes makes communication signals from the deck plate a challenge to be heard, with compounding factors such as the COVID 19 pandemic making effective comms more problematic. We must be on the lookout for even the faintest of communication signals from our Sailors. As leaders, all of us are required to message up the chain of command critical gaps we are experiencing that introduce risk to either mission or force. Examples that come to mind are training systems or software updates and how accurately they replicate Fire Scout mission systems. We need to be agile and move at the speed of software. Finally, ownership is an anchor for process improvement. Casting blame is rearward looking and does not solve future issues. As lead Commodore for Fire Scout, I own the challenges and look forward to correcting the deficiencies we have discovered in the past several months. We should all embrace this leadership tenet to grapple with thorny issues, pushing the ones we cannot resolve ourselves up to the next higher echelon for resolution. The issues I am taking lead on are streamlining NATOPS, driving to a single T/M/S AVO, eliminating training simulator concurrency gaps, adding live flight events to the FRS, and most importantly, getting deployed flight hour generation on LCS to build experience and expand TTPs. John E. Jackson’s One Nation Under Drones: Legality, Morality, and Utility of Unmanned Combat Systems (on the CNO’s professional reading list) describes how every unmanned program has had to work through various technical or training challenges while the programs were in their infancy. The MQ-1 Predator has had over 100 mishaps, since its inception in the early 2000s, as detailed by the Washington Post. We will move beyond and learn from these 22

mishaps, and Fire Scout will continue to grow in capability and performance. Both the CNO’s NAVPLAN 2021 and the recently published Navy Unmanned Campaign Plan speak of ubiquitous manned-unmanned teaming. As stated by CNO Gilday, “Unmanned Systems (UxS) have and will continue to play a key part in future Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO), and there is a clear need to field affordable, lethal, scalable, and connected capabilities. That is why the Navy is expanding and developing a range of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), unmanned undersea vehicles (UUV), and unmanned surface vessels (USV) that will play key roles as we shift our focus toward smaller platforms that operate in a more dispersed manner. A hybrid Fleet will be necessary for the Navy to meet emerging security concerns. We need platforms to deliver lethal and non-lethal effects simultaneously in all domains across multiple axes. UxS will provide added capacity in our Future Fleet — in the air, on the surface, and under the water.” Earlier this spring, the CNO visited HSCWP’s Vertical Takeoff and Landing Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Maintenance Detachment (VTUAV) at NAS Point Mugu. It was a great opportunity for HSC to highlight some of the advances to the manned-unmanned teaming efforts, demonstrating Naval Aviation’s alignment with CNO’s NAVPLAN 2021. We briefed and demonstrated MQ-8 and MH-60S current / future operations, confirming that these are very much aligned with his vision for a “larger hybrid Fleet.” We discussed the DMO capability that Fire Scout provides and touched on how this cost effective “unmanned platform (MQ-8) expands intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and targeting (ISR&T).” The visit went very well with a successful demonstration of MQ-8C’s use of the Minotaur mission management system, along with a followon engaging discussion on capabilities, future operations, and, most importantly, the integration of critical systems that cross multiple resource sponsors. Fire Scout is only one half of the equation. The multiple shipboard systems in LCS, that the air vehicle relies upon, are just as important as the air vehicle itself. We brought CNO into the Mission Control Station (MCS) space and talked him through both the capabilities and procedures during a live flight event. Initially, the CNO thought it was a simulation, but engaged more fully once we explained the aerial vehicle was on range and the operators were controlling the aerial vehicle in real time. The CNO noted and was impressed with Minotaur and how it fused track correlation (i.e., AIS and radar contacts) with FLIR (BRITESTAR II). Interestingly, he also commented on the size of the MCS referring to them as bulky vice operating off a laptop. Additionally, he made note that “two humans” are operating “one aerial vehicle.” As a former Fleet CYBER Commander, there is probably nobody more aware of what can be accomplished in the realm of computing power, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. The unmanned arena is ripe to leverage these promising technologies.

After the demo, we went on to discuss the MQ-8 / MH-60S efforts in 4th and 7th Fleets, and recent successful Airborne Use of Force operations to include seizure of millions of dollars of narcotics before they hit American soil, Oceania Maritime Security Initiative (OMSI), and the Freedom of Navigation (FON) operations in the South China Sea. Most recently with HSC-21, AMCM Detachments in the C7F AOR demonstrated cross Navy community manned-unmanned teaming with EOD Group 5’s MK-18 Mod 1. In addition to the present operations with Fire Scout, we discussed Project Overmatch and some of the systems that would make Fire Scout even more useful to Fleet Commanders. For those not familiar with Overmatch, it is a future concept of networked warfare that, when coupled with precision fires, will garner our service the competitive edge we need. Some specific areas discussed were a passive targeting suite with digital ESM, beyond line-of-sight link, ASW buoy seeding and processing, and sense/see and avoid. These capabilities will result in significant ISR&T capabilities. What warship would not want a platform that can loiter at 10,000 feet for over five hours? To make this vision a reality, we must team across both Naval Aviation and Surface Warfare Communities to ensure we identify and fix the technical challenges of shipboard and air vehicle integration. The work the Helicopter Sea Combat Community is doing with Fire Scout operations is critical to the NAE’s integration of unmanned. Each sortie flown, and hour logged, will continue to establish a foundation of knowledge and experience that will directly impact and buy down risk for MQ-25 and future systems. Additionally, we are quickly approaching all the critical / key decisions that will need to be made for the Future Vertical Lift (FVL) Family of Systems. What we learn from the unmanned surface combatant vantage point will be key to making “FVL Unmanned” the most capable platform for the next 20 to 40 years. One of the most challenging things we do as leaders is moving an organization through change. Bridging the future with manned-unmanned teaming is a transition that is most challenging and complex. Roll up your sleeves and let us continue this conversation for action to make unmanned integration a warfighting success!

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Industry & technology Exercise Deep Water 20 and Shaping a Way Ahead for the USMC By Dr. Robbin Laird

MV-22B Ospreys with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 266 and Marines with 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment conduct Exercise Deep Water 2020 at Marine Corps base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, July 29, 2020. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Maj. Binford Strickland, USMC.

ith a clear focus for the USMC on shifting from the land wars to full spectrum crisis management against peer competitors, the future is now. Whatever a future force looks like, one has to engage and fight with the force one has now. But force design can come as much with reworking how to use current capabilities and to reshape how they can be used, and how they can become more effective, lethal and survivable. The Marines have been the nation’s crisis management force for a long time, and . Tthe nation needs them to continue to be so. They are the force specialists on expeditionary warfare and able to operate distributed basing alike no force in the world. As the time to close a crisis gap when a peer adversary acts is short, the Marines need to get to the crisis point rapidly to provide time for political decision makers to be able to be able to deliver effective crisis management effects. How the Marines can do so by reconfiguring current capabilities into evolving concepts of operations was demonstrated last year in an exercise which they called Deep Water. In a press release from November 5, 2020, this is how II Marine Expeditionary Force described the exercise: “Marines with 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, and 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing are conducting Exercise Deep Water at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., 29 July 2020. II MEF conducts these training events on a consistent basis. This year, Exercise Deep Water will see two battalions conduct an air assault in order to command and control many of the various capabilities organic to II MEF in preparation for major combat operations. Rotor Review #153 Summer '21

“Exercise Deep Water 20 is a great opportunity for the Division to work with aviation units from Marine Corps Air Station New River and the Logistics Combat Element, as well. The 2nd Marine Regiment will be the provide command and control over the 2nd battalion, 2nd regiment, and 3rd battalion, 6th regiment, and the logistics and aviation units.” During my visit to 2nd MAW in the first week of December 2020, I had a chance to discuss the exercise and its focus and importance with Major Rew, the exercise’s aAir mMission Ccommander. I learned from Major Rew that this exercise combined forces from pickup zones in North Carolina and Virginia. The exercise consisted of a force insertion into a contested environment, meaning they used air assets to clear areas for the Assault Force, which included both USMC (AH-1Z, UH1Y, F/A-18A/C/D, and AV-8B) and USAF aircraft (F-15E and JSTARS). Once air superiority was established, the assault force was inserted by USMC MV-22Bs and CH-53Es. The exercise also included support aircraft such as the KC130J and RQ-21. The planning and execution focused on bringing a disaggregated force into an objective area that required integrated C2 with Ground, Aviation, and Logistics Combat Elements. This C2 functionality was delivered in part by an Osprey operating as an airborne command post with a capability delivered by a “roll-on/roll-off” C2 suite, which provided a chat capability and can be found at a mobile or static command post or even in an airborne C2 aircraft. 24

The use of MAGTF Tablets (MAGTAB) provided a key means of digital interoperability that allowed for real time information sharing to ground elements and aviators. The MAGTAB provided the visual representation of the integrated effects and outcomes to the command element. ISR was provided by USMC assets and by a USAF JSTARS aircraft. They used their Network-On-The-Move Airborne (NOTM-A) system to provide interoperability for the commander and assault force. As Major Rew put it, “I think having the NOTM-A kit on the Osprey is a big win because it provides so much situational awareness. With the Osprey as a C2 aircraft, there is added flexibility to land the aircraft close to whatever operational area the commander requires. There are many capable C2 platforms across the DoD but not all of them also have the ability to immediately land adjacent to the battlefield like the Osprey does.” One aspect of mission rehearsals the Marines are developing is to leverage Joint assets in support of an assault mission and be able to provide information to that mission force as well. To be clear, the Marines did not march to the objective area; they flew to their objectives in various USMC lift assets accompanied by USMC rotary wing and fixed wing combat aircraft. They were moving a significant number of Marines from two different locations, hundreds of miles apart, to nine different landing zones.

As Major Rew explained it, “We were working with a lot of different types of aircraft, and one of the challenges is trying to successfully integrate them to meet mission requirements.” He added, “As the air mission commander, I was colocated with an infantry colonel who was the overall mission commander. We were in an Osprey for a significant period of time leading the operation from a C2 perspective.” “In the exercise we sometimes had to solve problems during execution that required rapidly sending information to an asset so that they could complete a crucial battlefield task. We work with commander’s intent from the outset of an operation and this is especially critical during distributed operations.” The coming of the F-35 to both Air Assaults and Distributed Operations is crucial as well. According to Major Rew, “They’re an incredible sensor and they have the capability to be able to see what’s happening on the battlefield, assess things real time, and then send that information to the individual who needs to make a decision. Incorporating them into future exercises of this magnitude will be value-added to the entire Marine Corps.” In effect, the Marines are working on an ecosystem for integrated and distributed force insertion. As they build out that ecosystem, new ISR, C2 and, strike capabilities that enter the force can be plugged into the ecosystem that will allow for a continued evolution of that system. In that sense, the future is now.

The purpose of the exercise is to increase II Marine Expeditionary Force's interoperability and readiness on a scale to simulate peer-level threats. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Maj. Binford Strickland. 25

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Industry & technology The U.S. Navy Receives Its First TH-73A Training Helicopter Leonardo Press Release

A TH-73 helicopter flies over the Leonardo Helicopters’ manufacturing facility in Philadelphia. Leonardo Photo

t a ceremony on its Philadelphia campus and under the backdrop of the Stars and Stripes, Leonardo officially delivered the first TH-73A training helicopter to the U.S. Navy earlier on June 2021. The ceremony was attended by Vice Admiral Kenneth Whitesell, commander of Naval Air Forces and Commander, Naval Air Force U.S. Pacific Fleet; Rear Admiral Gregory Harris, Director of Air Warfare Division (N98); and Captain Holly Shoger, Program Manager of Naval Undergraduate Flight Training Systems Program. Also attending the ceremony was Leonardo Helicopters Managing Director Gian Piero Cutillo and members of local, state and federal elected delegations, including Congressman Donald Norcross and Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney. The total requirement is for 130 aircraft with delivery to continue through calendar year 2024. The initial, firm-fixed-price contract just shy of $177million awarded in 2020 called for the production and delivery of 32 TH-73A helicopters, initial spares, support, dedicated equipment, in addition to specific pilot and maintenance services.In November 2020,the U.S. Department of Defense exercised options foran additional 36 aircraft in a $171 million fixed-price-contract. Alessandro Profumo, Leonardo CEO said ;“Today’s event marks a significant milestone for Leonardo, marking our growing effort and commitment to becoming not just a supplier, but a partner and strategic asset for the United States in several sectors. We are proud to be a core contributor to the future of U.S. defense. The U.S. Navy expects the highest quality of training for its future aviators, We are honored to start delivery of the product chosen for this critical task. Today is just the beginning of a journey we have undertaken to support the Navy as it shapes the capabilities of future generations of aviation students.”

Gian Piero Cutillo, Leonardo Helicopters Managing Director. added “This is a great day for Leonardo and Philadelphia. Producing the aircraft that will train our nation’s future Naval Aviators is more thanjust an honor, but also a humbling and extremely gratifying experience,” William Hunt, Chief Executive Officer of Leonardo Helicopters in the US remarked, “I am proud of the hard work that our teammates in the US have given to get us to this first delivery and the many that will follow.” The TH-73A is replacing the aging fleet of TH-57B/C Sea Rangers, and will serve as the first training aircraft for thousands of Student Naval Aviators at NAS Whiting Field in Milton, FL, where all student helicopter pilots for the Navy, Marines and Coast Guard train along with several NATO-allied nations. To support this new fleet, Leonardo has announced the construction of a new comprehensive 100,000 sq. ft. helicopter support center at Whiting Aviation Park, located directly across the runway from NAS Whiting Field for seamless and immediate maintenance and repair support, with groundbreaking expected in December 2021. The TH-73A, based on the Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) certified variant of the popular commercial AW119Kx, is perfectly suited for initial training flights, but also capable of advanced training. With a powerful and reliable Pratt & Whitney PT-6 engine, dual safety and hydraulic systems and advanced digital avionics by Genesys Aerosystems, the TH-73 can perform every maneuver in the U.S. Navy’s training syllabus for seamless transition from basic maneuvers to advanced operational training. The Advanced Helicopter Training System will modernize Navy training technology, taking it from analog to digital, and is manufactured to serve aviation students until 2050 or longer.

Watch the video here: https://leonardo.canto.global/direct/video/9r87ussssd53td82qke7v2t90d/CLTuEsOn-hGnifMsElkgVl_1iDo/original?content-type=video%2Fmp4&name=TH-73_output_MP4.mp4

Rotor Review #153 Summer '21

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Industry & technology Northrop Grumman’s MQ-8C Fire Scout Completes Successful Fit Check aboard USS Anchorage (LPD 23) From Northrop Grumman

Northrop Grumman Corporation MQ-8C Fire Scout, the U.S. Navy’s only ship-based autonomous helicopter program, passes the initial fit check aboard the USS Anchorage (LPD-23) at Naval Base San Diego demonstrating the aircrafts’ suitability for the U.S. Marine Corps’ amphibious warfare mission. MQ-8C Fire Scout, which has integrated the AN/ZPY-8 radar, is expected to reach Initial Operating Capability in this new configuration this summer and begin replacing MQ-8B aircraft on upcoming deployments. The Northrop Grumman MQ-8C Fire Scout is an unmanned helicopter developed by Northrop Grumman for use by the United States Navy. The MQ-8C also has autonomous take-off and landing capability. It is designed to provide reconnaissance, situational awareness, aerial fire support and precision targeting support for ground, air and sea forces. The MQ-8C airframe is based on the Bell 407, while the avionics and other systems are developed from those used on the MQ-8B Fire Scout. It first flew in October 2013 and achieved initial operational capability on 28 June 2019.

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Proudly supported by Team Osprey All proceeds benefit NHA Scholarship Fund & NHA Historical Society Rotor Review #153 Summer '21

LSI, Inc. Delivers Two CMV-22B Virtual Maintenance Trainers V-22 VMT Applies Virtual Products to Revolutionize the Future of V-22 Training From LSI

SI, Inc. has successfully delivered two (2) CMV-22B Virtual Maintenance Trainer (V-22 VMT) devices to the Marine Corps Air Station New River and Naval Air Station North Island, San Diego. The V-22 VMT is revolutionizing the future of maintenance training on the V-22 aircraft through virtual products, providing students with interactive training before engaging with a fully operational aircraft. The V-22 VMT uses 3D modeling to provide students interaction with the most difficult and rarely accessed components of the aircraft. This technology allows students to manipulate and examine individual components and subcomponents without the need to disassemble airworthy assets for training. Students using the V-22 VMT gain a more thorough understanding of an aircraft structure and system operation, which would not be available through standardized training. The V-22 VMT is designed to assist maintenance personnel in performing a multitude of maintenance tasks for seven (7) modeled aircraft systems: • External Power Distribution • Aircraft Power Distribution • Blade Fold Wing Stow (BFWS) • Hydraulic Systems • Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) • Drive System • Powerplants “The V-22 VMT fills a critical training need for our customer,” said Mike French, Chief Executive Officer of LSI, Inc. “LSI’s mission is to provide superior training to our warfighters and these devices are making that mission a reality every day.” For a full portfolio of products and services, visit www.lsijax.com.

About LSI, Inc.

Logistic Services international (LSI, Inc.) is a DoD training company specializing in creating high fidelity training devices, hardware trainer design and manufacturing, virtual reality training devices, mobile training applications, courseware, instructor services, and technical publications, utilized around the world. LSI, Inc.’s approach to training is scientifically designed to improve knowledge transfer, enhance retention, and shorten time-to-train. For over 40 years, LSI, Inc. has supported a customer base that includes all branches of the military, Department of Homeland Security, foreign militaries, and the largest military aircraft manufacturing defense companies in the world. For more information visit www.lsijax.com. Media Contact Dave Risha Director of Business Development Ph: (904) 594-6603 Email: drisha@lsijax.com

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Industry & technology U.S. Navy Awards L3Harris Contract for 16 COMSATCOM Terminals From L3Harris

he U.S. Navy has awarded L3Harris $18 million as part of the Commercial Broadband Satellite Program (CBSP), a continuing effort to bolster sailors’ access to commercial broadband communications while on active maritime duty. The company’s long-standing commitment to the program and on-time delivery of the systems led to four additional units being added to this year’s contracted activities. CBSP provides terminal-to-shore, space and terrestrial connectivity, increasing throughput for commercial satellite communications to provide redundancy for military satellite communications. The program includes two U.S. Navy contracts for separate types of terminals, one for Force-Level Variants (FLV) and another for Unit-Level Variants (ULV). “The CBSP program is a quality-of-life program,” Lin Vinson, L3Harris Program Director, SATCOM Solutions, said. “Sailors talk to family back home, they stream videos, and they can access NIPRS and SIPRS as they need to.” There is so much commonality between the FLV and ULV solutions that the company treats them as a single program to keep production cost low, Roy Paleta, L3Harris Chief Systems Engineer for SATCOM Maritime Programs, said. “The above-deck equipment is fairly different because of the size of the antennas, but the below-deck equipment is

Rotor Review #153 Summer '21

nearly 100 percent in common,” Paleta said. “There’s a lot of commonality in sparing and training requirements as well.” The ULV contract is a 10-year indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity award, through which the Navy has deployed more than 150 systems to date. This year’s award will provide the service with 16 new units; work is expected to be completed later this year. A Legacy of Support The U.S. Navy has for decades relied on L3Harris broadband communications solutions because the company supports their modems of choice, be they commercial or DOD, Vinson said. “However the Navy’s needs change, we can still meet them, because our products are so complementary to each other,” he said. “We have a breadth of experience in the maritime arena, delivering future-proof, very durable systems.” L3Harris’ history in delivering Satellite Communications antennas on U.S. Navy vessels dates back to the Challenge Athena III program in 1995, the first service initiative aimed at providing broadband access to sailors at sea. In 1998, the company continued its partnership through the AN/WSC-8 program. CBSP grew out of a growing need in 2008, when leases the Navy used to provide satellite bandwidth were ending.

CBSP is used as a secondary service for communications that do not leverage the Advanced Extremely High Frequency Naval Maritime Terminal (NMT). It is also the backup for the NMT if it is unavailable, Paleta said, noting the Canadian and New Zealand navies use CBSP as their primary communications terminal. CBSP antennas are now considered mission-critical, and the U.S. Navy will not sail without the capability because of the well-being they provide the sailors.

“However the Navy’s needs change, we can still meet them, because our products are so complementary to each other,” said Lin Vinson, L3Harris Program Director, SATCOM Solutions. “We have a breadth of experience in the maritime arena, delivering future-proof, very durable systems.” A new home for production L3Harris recently has moved CBSP production into a newly renovated manufacturing space in Melbourne, Florida. CBSP is the first program to build product at the company’s Woody Burke site. The new production space was deliberately designed for a reduced footprint and colocation of program teams – from engineering to assembly and test functions – to speed production and reduce waste, according to Brian Allen,

L3Harris Operations Management director. L3Harris strategically planned and scheduled the CBSP transition to the new space avoiding any program impact. L3Harris has built ULV systems at a 90-day-per-unit clip since the inception of the program. Despite the location change and supply chain challenges faced by the COVID-19 pandemic and extreme winter weather of early 2021, production didn’t skip a beat this past year, according to Charlene Butler, L3Harris Program Manager, SATCOM Maritime Programs. Looking forward The company is bringing to market a dual-band feed that will allow sailors to connect to Ka- and X-band simultaneously, allowing for more capability and ease of use, according to Vinson. The dual-band will eliminate the manual switch process and the need for a full ship stop. Further, L3Harris is adding commercial Ka to the new feed, expanding capability to connect to constellations being launched into the Medium-Earth Orbit. On the missioncritical side, the company is looking into the ability to support future protected modems. “Over the years, we’ve had a very good working relationship with the Navy,” Paleta said. “We go out of our way to meet and exceed their expectations. We’re looking ahead at the next generation to make sure we can continue serving their communications needs.”

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Focus - UAVs and You Rotary Wing Aviation Can Lead the Way to Think Outside the Box to Defeat Deadly Sea Mines: A Perspective By CAPT George Galdorisi, USN (Ret.)

he Navy rotary wing community has been in the business of providing a means of countering the threat of sea mines for many decades. I have a bit of a personal connection here. My brother-in-law was an “HM guy,” and participated in mine clearing operations in the Suez Canal in the 1970s. During my time in HSL-32 in the 1970s, the HM hangars at NAS Norfolk, Virginia were across the tarmac from our hangar, and I had the chance to gain an understanding of what the HM bubbas did to complete their mission. Most readers of Rotor Review know that our community is undergoing a huge transition in how we conduct airborne mine-countermeasures, or AMCM. Our venerable MH-53E Sea Dragon AMCM aircraft (aptly nicknamed “Big Iron”) is scheduled to sunset this decade, and the MH-60S will become the Navy’s primary AMCM helicopter as it gets outfitted with the ALMDS near-surface mine detection system and the AMNS airborne mine neutralization systems. These assets are part of an overarching MCM Mission Package that will be carried by some number of Littoral Combat Ships.

mine warfare has been an important element of naval warfare. Indeed, while the first attempt to deliver the Bushnell Keg from America’s first combat submarine, the Turtle, against a British warship in 1776 failed, subsequent attempts to deliver these early mines were successful. Not only did they damage and sink a British schooner and kill several British seamen, but If you read the last issue of Rotor Review, you likely caught the threat caused British capital ships-of-the-line to redeploy thoughtful articles by Lieutenant Joshua Price and Lieutenant to avoid the threat. Rob “OG” Swain that offered good suggestions for the trajectory of our HSC Community, especially in the area of MCM. In Over 150 years ago Admiral David Farragut became spite of what the MCM Mission Package—including the MH- famous for "damning torpedoes" (mines) at the entrance to 60S equipped with the ALMDS and AMNS—will bring to the Mobile Bay during the Civil War. Indeed, in the early stages Fleet, the Navy still has a deficit in its MCM capabilities. of the Civil War, Admiral Farragut wrote to Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles, about the sea mine threat posed by the As Lieutenant Price put it in his article, “The demand Confederacy, stating, “I have always deemed it unworthy of a for a rapidly-deployable MCM asset with over-the-horizon chivalrous nation, but it does not do to give your enemy such capability has never been higher.” He also noted that, “Private a decided superiority over you.” Farragut’s warning was eerily industry has promised over-the-horizon full detect-to-engage prescient. capabilities from unmanned surface and airborne platforms.” It seems to me that we would be well-served to lean into this The use of mines and countermeasures to mines have figured kind of capability. But before we get too excited about laying significantly in every major armed conflict and nearly every yet another mission on the HSC Community (something regional conflict in which the United States has been involved Lieutenant Swain cautions against in his article) it is worth since the Revolutionary War. Mine warfare is an essential asking the question: Is the adversary mine challenge really warfare capability integral to the ability of naval forces to open something that demands a great deal of attention and resources? and maintain sea lines of communication and to dominate the littoral battlespace. The Naval Mine Challenge Today A great deal of ink has been spilled regarding the threat Modern naval mines were widely used for the first time over of adversary sea mines, so I will just surf the wave tops in a century ago, during the Russo-Japanese war (1904-1905). summarizing this challenge. First, it is important to recall These were contact mines, floating in shallow water and that mine warfare is not new. Precursors to naval mines were kept in place with an anchor and chain. When the tide was first invented by innovators in Imperial China. The first plan right they would be just below the surface, ready to explode for a sea mine in the West was drawn up by Ralph Rabbards, whenever struck by a ship. Some 2,000 of these mines were who presented his design to Queen Elizabeth I of England in used to destroy sixteen ships during the Russo-Japanese war. 1574. Since the invention of the Bushnell Keg (a watertight That is one ship lost for every 125 mines used. keg filled with gunpowder that was floated toward the enemy, detonated by a sparking mechanism if it struck a ship) in 1776, Rotor Review #153 Summer '21

In the past several decades, rogue states have indiscriminately employed sea mines. Libya used mines to disrupt commerce in the Gulf of Suez and the Strait of Bab el Mandeb. Iran laid mines to hazard military and commercial traffic in the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. During Operation Desert Storm in 1990-1991, the threat of mines precluded the effective use of the Navy and Marine Corps expeditionary task force off the shores of Kuwait and hazarded all U.S. and coalition forces operating in the Arabian Gulf. The threat posed by mines was so extensive, that clearance operations in this confined body of water were not completed until 1997. Indeed, Operation Desert Storm highlighted the importance of mine warfare with the near catastrophic damage to USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG 58), USS Princeton (CG 59) and USS Tripoli (LPH 10). Fourteen U.S. Navy ships have been sunk or damaged by mines since World War II, over three times the number damaged by air and missile attack. Today, mine warfare remains a critical element of naval warfare capability. In terms of availability, variety, cost-effectiveness, ease of deployment and potential impact on naval expeditionary operations, mines are some of the most attractive weapons available to any adversary determined to prevent Joint or coalition forces from achieving access to sea lines of communications or the littorals. Worldwide proliferation of mines compounds this challenge. The number of countries with mines, mining assets, mine manufacturing capabilities, as well as the intention to export mines, has grown dramatically over the past several decades. More than 50 countries possess mines and mining capability. Of these, 30 countries have demonstrated a mine production capability and 20 have attempted to export these weapons. Even the threat of mines can stop any naval operation dead in its tracks. The use of sea mines adjacent to maritime choke points presents a threat that is at once ubiquitous and deadly. Mines represent one of the most vexing military challenges. Sea mines are hard to find, difficult to neutralize, and can present a deadly hazard to any vessel—even those ships specifically designed to hunt them. These “weapons that wait” provide an adversary with an effective means to thwart even a major naval power. U.S. Navy Plans and Efforts to Defeat Sea Mines For those with stewardship for the U.S. Navy’s mine warfare capabilities, the old saw about meteorological phenomena rings true; “Everyone talks about the weather, but no one does anything about it.” Over the past several decades, the U.S. Navy has articulated a commitment to deliver robust mine countermeasures assets to the fleet. This aspirational vision has yet to be realized. That might have been enough when the United States was a “uni-power” and had unfettered access to the oceans and the littorals. However, today the Navy must accelerate its efforts to field effective mine countermeasures in an era of renewed great power competition.

There is little doubt that adversary sea mines pose one of the most compelling challenges faced by the United States today. It falls squarely on the U.S. Navy to provide the MCM capability to enable the Joint Force to operate forward in support of United States’ interests, as well as those of our allies and friends. Today’s Navy and Marine Corps leadership at least articulates a desire to address the mine countermeasures challenge. During an NDIA Expeditionary Warfare Conference, Vice Admiral John Miller, former commander of Naval Forces Central Command, noted that developing a mine countermeasures capability is critical as the Navy faces increased mining threats from adversaries worldwide. During this event, Major General David Coffman, Commanding General of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade noted, “The threat of mines is growing globally. It is an asymmetric advantage that our enemy is trying to leverage and directly affects our maneuverability and our assets.” However, while senior leaders are saying the right things, the Navy and Marine Corps would be well-served to accelerate efforts find an effective solution. The U.S. Navy’s mine countermeasures capabilities are little-changed today, even after decades of aspirational intentions to enhance the Navy’s MCM posture. The situation has become so dire that naval professionals are identifying the magnitude of the problem and calling for a near-term solution. Writing for the U.S. Naval Institute Blog, Lieutenant Commander Jon Paris, an officer who has served on cruisers, destroyers and minesweepers, put the challenge this way: The U.S. Navy is focused on high-end warfare—engaging anti-ship cruise missiles, defeating hypersonic weapons, protecting the homeland and allies from ballistic missiles, and operating the air wing far from shore in a command-andcontrol degraded environment. We are focused on defeating those we sometimes still call “near-peer” competitors. Our fleet’s muscle will not make it to the high-end fight, though, if it fears the deceptively destructive naval mine. Mines are inexpensive. They present a fiscally efficient option to foes with a substantial return on investment. They are easy to deploy and are difficult to combat. They are stealthy and disrupt the world’s sea lanes and are built to guarantee a mission kill. Just the threat of their use or the rumor of their presence has immediate tactical and strategic impact, whether it is merchants avoiding chokepoints or harbors, causing untold damage to the economy, or billion-dollar naval vessels held at arm’s length, allowing belligerents to buy time and achieve objectives.

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Focus - UAVs and You In his first-prize essay in the 2020 U.S. Naval Institute Mine Warfare Essay Contest, Lieutenant Ridge H. Alkonis, a Surface Warfare Officer who served a tour at the Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center in San Diego, said this about the need for the Surface Navy to leverage autonomous MCM systems. Mine hunting, finding, and sweeping are not marginal operations. The assets performing these missions must undertake careful thought and preparation, as countering mines cannot be made easy, cheap, or convenient. With the current mine countermeasures (MCM) force limited in personnel, material, and money, the Navy needs a new concept of operations that relies more on automated unmanned systems. While there are many more professional articles that express this same sentiment—and in a powerful way—I think that Rotor Review readers get the point. Mines are—and will remain—a deadly threat to the U.S. Navy. Given this growing mine threat—especially by adversaries who seek to impede the U.S. Navy’s ability to access littoral seas—the imminent sundowning of the Navy’s current surface and airborne MCM assets, and the many-moving-parts of the LCS MCM Mission Package, it may be time to think out of the box to find, as Lieutenant Price suggests in his article, “An over-the-horizon full detect-to-engage capabilities from unmanned surface and airborne platforms.” How far out of the box? A lot! The key here, I believe, is to keep the MH-60S as the centerpiece of this capability and have it work with an unmanned surface vehicle that can, day or night, perform the single-sortie detect-to-engage MCM mission. Far from being a hypothetical or far-in-the-future capability that must work its way through an always fraught acquisition system, this capability exists today in commercialoff-the-shelf (COTS) technology that was demonstrated during the U.S. Navy Trident Warrior 2020 exercise.

Marrying Air, Surface and Unmanned Capabilities First, in order to ease into embracing this solution, it is worth remembering that the rotary wing community has a long history of working with surface assets—witness the LAMPS Mk 1, LAMPS Mk III, and now the MH-60R and MH-60S communities. Now we should look at the same lashup, but this time with an unmanned surface vehicle. While there are several USVs that can provide the “truck” or basis for a single-sortie detect-to-engage MCM capability, I want to focus on the MARTAC T38 “Devil Ray” for a number of reasons. First, it is a COTS platform that I have seen perform in numerous Navy and Marine Corps exercises, experiments and demonstrations, most recently in Commander Third Fleet’s Integrated Battle Problem 2021. Second, the Devil Ray was demonstrated as part of an integrated MCM solution during Trident Warrior 2020. Third, the Devil Ray approximates the size of an eleven meter RHIB, and with modifications to the cradle supporting the RHIB on today’s Navy ships, the T38 can be and can be carried on most U.S. Navy ships in place of the RHIB. While there are any number of COTS components that the Devil Ray can carry to perform the mine-hunting and mineneutralization mission, the systems used in Trident Warrior 2020 were a Kraken Robotics Katfish-180 Synthetic Aperture Sonar (SAS) optimized to search for mine-like objects (MLOs), an Idrobotica Pluto Gigas Mine Neutralization System (MNS) Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV), and an Idrobotica Pilota Control Console and Watch-Stander Station. These components—working together as an integrated COTS solution—successfully detected and neutralized a number of simulated mines during Trident Warrior 2020. For Rotor Review readers interested in a detailed summary of how this COTS solution performed during this exercise, you can read more in Naval News, “Dealing with the Threat of Adversary Sea Mines,” at this link: https://www.navalnews.com/navalnews/2020/11/dealing-with-the-threat-of-adversary-seamines/.

MARTAC T38 “Devil Ray

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Moving Forward With a NearTerm, Rotary Wing-Led MCM Solution The reason that I headlined this article with the words “out of the box” is because during the course of the over half-century of U.S. Navy MCM, we have always thought in terms of systems attached in some way to the helicopter. Now I am suggesting freeing the helicopter of devices such as the ALMDS and AMNS and having it simply be the delivery vehicle and “coach” for an integrated, all weather, single-sortie detect-to-engage MCM solution. While I have some level of confidence that the LCS MCM Mission Package—including the U.S. Navy photo by Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist Mike Jones. MH-60S equipped with ALMDS and AMNS—will eventually evolve How would this MCM mission be conducted? The short and provide the U.S. Navy with a good MCM capability, the answer is: In multiple ways. If the ship believes that a mine Navy is only buying a discrete number of Littoral Combat threat is close, it would launch the Devil Ray, equipped with Ships and only some of them will be outfitted with the MCM the components listed above (or more advanced systems as Mission Package. That leaves the rest of the Fleet with no newer technologies evolve), ahead of the ship to hunt for and organic MCM capability. neutralize mines while the MH-60S monitors its progress from above. If there is a threat of mines in an area where From this former helicopter aviator, amphibious assault the strike group or individual ship intends sail to for an group and carrier strike group sailor’s perspective, this leaves operation, the Devil Ray can be launched to that AOR to the remainder of the Fleet dangerously exposed to deadly perform the same mission. sea mines. The MH-60S (and MH-60R for that matter) are ubiquitous in our Fleet. Putting a USV like Devil Ray Putting this in concrete terms, if the AOR is 250 miles equipped as described above on a large number of U.S. Navy distant, the Devil Ray can proceed there at 80 knots and ships will provide the Navy with an urgently needed singlethen remain on station for up to ten days, at which time sortie detect-to-engage MCM capability—and one that has it can return to the parent ship. As in the scenario above, the MH-60 platform at its core. the MH-60S can constantly—or just periodically—monitor its progress. If the area where the threat of mines exists is The U.S. Navy has an ambitious series of exercises, quite large, a number of Devil Rays can operate as a miniexperiments and demonstrations planned over the next several swarm with set search patterns. All this can be monitored and years. It is long past time to think outside the box and kluge controlled by one MH-60S—executing advanced manned/ together the reliable and versatile MH-60S with a COTS USV unmanned teaming concepts—while serving as a key node like Devil Ray outfitted with COTS MCM components and in a naval network supporting tactical and operational show how this solution can address a pressing Fleet challenge. commanders. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Casey Trietsch receives a tour and demonstration from Bruce Hanson aboard the MANTAS T38 Devil Ray unmanned surface vehicle

MANTAS Devil Ray T24 USV 35

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Focus - UAVs and You Navy Future Vertical Lift: Pilot Optional LCDR Matt “Thumper” Petersen, USN

he best choice for the Navy’s next vertical lift platform is an optionally-piloted rotorcraft. Navy Future Vertical Lift is often considered a contest of competing prototypes: Two currently flying include the Sikorsky-Boeing SB>1 Defiant is a coaxial design with counter-rotating rotors and a pusher propeller for high-speed dash. The Bell V-280 is a tiltrotor design, like the proven Bell-Boeing MV-22 Osprey, 1 and it has demonstrated autonomous flight.2 In the vocabulary of engineering, sprint and agility are pitted against range and endurance. Either one could make a capable maritime rotorcraft. However, this is not the most relevant question. The choice that should define Navy Future Vertical Lift is not the means of propulsion, but the means of control: Piloted, optionallypiloted, or remote-piloted. An optionally-piloted rotorcraft is the ideal evolutionary choice. This paradigm drives tactical flexibility, developmental capability, and strategic ambiguity for the maritime gray zone. Optional piloting builds flexibility across tasks and tactical situations. Complex missions requiring humans in the aircraft, such as search-and-rescue, personnel recovery, or logistics flights in congested airspace may be operated by onboard aircrew. Longer-duration or higher-risk missions such as intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and targeting (ISRT), counter-ISRT, or surface warfare may be conducted with remote pilots. Optionally-piloted aircraft may operate at high altitude, expanding sensor horizon, without the added weight and complexity of life support systems. The Navy may consider the Army’s “CapSet 2” model for Future Vertical Lift, 3 and the Army is already exploring the optionally-piloted concept. 4 This capability could deploy on board Arleigh Burke Flight IIA and Flight III guided-missile destroyers and future surface combatants. It would bring the full spectrum of piloted and remotely-piloted aviation options to the surface action group, and to areas beyond the range of the carrier airwing. Incremental Evolution Optionally-piloted aircraft represent an intermediate form between the onboard human pilot and a fully remote or autonomous vehicle. Incremental evolution is a wise choice, with sound historical backing. Sailing ships were not struck wholesale upon the advent of coal-fired propulsion. Rather, intermediate forms prevailed for decades: coal-powered ships with masts and rigging 5, sailing and building confidence in steam power. The shift to remotely-piloted and autonomous flight is a similar evolutionary moment, and the optionallypiloted aircraft is a similar intermediate form.

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As the competing prototypes are fly-by-wire aircraft, implementing optional piloting is a software problem. No physical modification is needed, and technical maturity is not required on the day of the program’s initial operational capability. This built-in flexibility has already been leveraged for the Magic Carpet control augmentation project in the F/A18. Decades after its initial fielding, upgrades implemented in the aircraft’s digital controls have improved carrier landing performance. They have set the stage for substantial efficiencies in carrier qualification. Along these lines, a 2020 proof-ofconcept demonstrated an E/A-18 Growler crew remotely controlling two additional E/A-18s in flight. 6 As the optionally-piloted capability hits the Fleet, evolutionary flexibility becomes part of the package. Operational units will learn to employ identical piloted and remotely-piloted airframes side-by-side. They will build bases of tactical and technical knowledge, without the friction of operating multiple aircraft types. Squadrons will learn by doing. Innovation along these lines is underway in the U.S. Air Force “Skyborg” and Australian “Loyal Wingman” manned/unmanned teaming paradigms. 7 Most recently, an unmanned MQ-9B employed sonar buoys and tracked an underwater target, demonstrating potential as a playmate for a crewed anti-submarine aircraft 8. Ambiguity: Do Drones Escalate? Optionally-piloted aircraft provide the operational commander a new dial to tune the level of intended escalation. If drones are less provocative than crewed aircraft, it follows that a given mission flown by a drone may be less threatening than the same mission flown by a pilot. Expanding this line of thought to enemy action, one finds the shootdown of a drone less escalatory than that of a human pilot. Erik Lin-Greenberg published experimental research suggesting this possibility in January 2019. 9 It was demonstrated in action six months later, when Iran shot down an American RQ-4A Global Hawk, and the United States did not kinetically escalate the confrontation. 10 Optional piloting provides commanders with options to generate ambiguity. What if an adversary cannot determine whether an aircraft is crewed or not? How shall they react? What rules of engagement apply? Optionally-piloted aircraft inject confusion into adversary decision-making. China has employed these tactics of ambiguity, such as maritime militia acting in the “gray zone” space between peace and war .11 The U.S. Navy may leverage the manned/unmanned teaming concept,12 enabled by optionally-piloted rotorcraft, to aggressively compete in the gray zone.

The goal for Navy Future Vertical Lift cannot be simply flying faster, farther or higher. This incomplete paradigm echoes the early generations of fighter development: powerful jets, subsequently obviated by John Boyd’s energy-maneuverability theory. The key is a system with flexibility and ambiguity for the modern maritime gray zone. The optionally-piloted model is that solution.

Ignoring the future of remote and ultimately autonomous military aircraft is not an option. Revolutionary transformation to remotely-piloted vertical flight would undertake substantial technical risk, while jeopardizing missions that require human crew. Optionally-piloted aircraft are the intermediating evolutionary step. Navy Future Vertical Lift must capitalize on this opportunity to build flexibility and ambiguity into the next generation of naval rotorcraft.

Notes Dan Parsons. “Navy launches FVL Maritime Strike replacement for MH-60 Seahawk,” Vertical, 29 January 2021. https:// verticalmag.com/news/navy-launches-fvl-maritime-strike-replacement-mh-60-seahawk/ 2. Jen Judson. “Bell V-280 flies autonomously for first time.” Defense News, 08 January 2021. https://www.defensenews.com/ land/2020/01/09/bell-v-280-flies-autonomously-for-first-time/ 3. Dan Parsons. “Navy launches FVL Maritime Strike replacement for MH-60 Seahawk,” Vertical. 4. Frank Colucci. “The Moving Parts of Future Vertical Lift,” Vertiflite, September-October 2019. https://vtol.org/files/dmfile/ fvl-vf_septoct_20191.pdf 5. John H. Lienhard (Host). “The Last Masts” (No. 1338) [Audio podcast episode]. In Engines of Ingenuity, University of Houston. https://uh.edu/engines/epi1338.htm 6. Pat Host. “US Navy, Boeing link manned and unmanned EA-18G Growlers.” Janes, 05 February 2020. https://www.janes. com/defence-news/news-detail/us-navy-boeing-link-manned-and-unmanned-ea-18g-growlers 7. Mallory Shelbourne. “Geurts: Navy, Air Force working to find ‘Sweet Spot’ in Collaborating on New Fighters” USNI News, 27 August 2020. https://news.usni.org/2020/08/27/geurts-navy-air-force-working-to-find-sweet-spot-in-collaborating-on-newfighters 8. Defense World. “U.S. Navy Drone to get first-of-its-kind Anti-Submarine Warfare Capability.” 21 January 2021. https:// www.defenseworld.net/news/28795/U_S__Navy_Drone_to_get_first_of_its_kind_Anti_Submarine_Warfare_Capability 9. Erik Lin-Greenberg. “Game Of Drones: What Experimental Wargames Reveal About Drones and Escalation.” War on the Rocks, 10 January 2019. https://warontherocks.com/2019/01/game-of-drones-what-experimental-wargames-reveal-about-dronesand-escalation/ 10. Nasser Karimi and Jon Gambrell. “Iran shoots down US surveillance drone, heightening tensions.” AP News, 21 June 2019. https://apnews.com/article/e4316eb989d5499c9828350de8524963 11. Admiral James Stavridis. “Maritime Hybrid Warfare is Coming,” US Naval Institute Proceedings, Vol. 142, No. 12 (December 2016). https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2016/december/maritime-hybrid-warfare-coming 12. Ensign Jada Rivera. “A Flank Bell: The Importance of Manned-Unmanned Teaming.” USNI Blog, 29 January 2021. https://blog.usni.org/posts/2021/01/29/a-flank-bell-the-importance-of-manned-unmanned-teaming 1.

Bell Valor 280

Sikorsky - Boeing SB>1 Defiant

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Focus - UAVs and You Buzzword MUM-T: Expeditionary HSC on the Leading Edge By LT Rebecca “Deuce” Atkinson, USN

he phrase MUM-T (Manned Unmanned-Teaming) has been batted around a lot in the past few years. But what exactly does that mean, and how is the Navy doing it? If you were to type MUM-T into a Google search, you would get hits about the U.S. Army’s programs involving Apaches and various fixed wing UAVs, such as the MQ-1C Grey Eagle and RQ-1 Shadow. These aircraft work together with troops to build situational awareness on the battlefield and to provide real-time reconnaissance on the ground. The U.S. Navy uses UAVs in a similar fashion. Fixed wing UAVs, such as the ScanEagle, are used primarily overseas to support ground troops. Rotary wing UAVs, capable of staying airborne for extended time and with the ability to launch from ships, are excellent in a multitude of environments. While creating an efficient tool for use overland, the Navy has taken it a step further by equipping ships with built-in Mission Control Stations able to operate anywhere the ship can take it. These stations allow UAV operators to build a Recognized Maritime Picture with greater detail than ever before. Utilizing built in RADAR (AN / ZPY-4), multispectral imaging (BSBII), and imagery sharing components (VORTEX / Rover) including long legs and the ability to operate at high altitudes, a UAV is ideal in complementing the Navy’s manned aircraft both at sea and overland. The Navy’s HSC Community is taking on the UAV with enthusiasm. Squadrons on both East and West Coasts have operated the MQ-8B Fire Scout and MH-60S in the maritime environment while deployed on the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) with big plans to take them to Fifth and Seventh Fleet.

Photo taken by HSC-22 Public Affairs Officer LTJG Michael Maxwell

In the past two years, the expeditionary squadrons have focused their energies on Fourth Fleet Counter-Narcotics operations. The Airborne Use of Force mission, executed in concert with the US Coast Guard, is a perfect example of how the MUM-T concept in the Navy is one of its greatest capabilities. When intelligence is passed that a vessel suspected of carrying illegal drugs is en-route to its rendezvous, the Fire Scout can launch to locate and positively identify the contact. Once this is complete and the LCS is within two hours of the vessel, the MH-60S can launch to execute the interdiction while the MQ-8 stays on scene and provides updates during the boarding. During Strike Group workups, the LCS and expeditionary detachments have further demonstrated their MUM-T capabilities in mock straigts transits in which the Fire Scout has identified FAC / FIAC swarms and directed manned MH-60s to execute Pre-Planned Responses (PPRs) in order to protect the American assets. Overwater operations are not the only strength of the Navy’s expeditionary UAV squadrons. UAV operators and manned crews train to the overland environment as well. Due to the Fire Scout’s ability to remain relatively covert (flight at higher altitudes coupled with a quiet engine and rotor system), it can be the ideal platform to build situational awareness for both ground troops and the aircraft supporting them. In HSC-22’s Detachment workups in winter of 2020, crews flew a Direct Action event in which the UAV provided, with incredible detail, a real-time picture to Special Operation Forces of suspect enemies and directed them safely to their objective. Once complete, the MQ-8 cleared the MH-60S to their landing zone to exfil troops, resulting in mission success and an outstanding win for MUM-T.

MQ-8 and MH-60S. Photo taken by NASA Public Affairs, Wallops Flight Facility

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Now that the capabilities of the Navy’s MannedUnmanned Teaming have been proven in both the training environment and while operating in theater, the next step is to begin operations in more volatile regions of the world. With expeditionary squadrons currently receiving the improved MQ-8C and gaining experience through deploying detachments, MUM-T is bound to enhance an already incredible global force. 38

"Who are the Pilots?... All of Us, Sir" By an AWS1 assigned to SRT-1

icture this – the Commanding Officer of an Unmanned Aircraft Squadron in the U.S. Air Force looking around a roomful of military personnel asking who are the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) pilots. “We all are,” I replied. Then he asks who operated the payloads. I replied again, “All of us, sir.” Incredulous, he listened as I explained that the UAS operators conduct all of the maintenance as well. Compared to the logistical tail that conventional forces require when conducting UAS operations, all that is required to maintain and operate three Naval Special Warfare (NSW) UAS platforms in support of Geographic Combatant Commanders (GCC) and Coalition forces is a small team of enlisted Sailors. The NSW unmanned mission is not only for the multitasking Nintendo millennial generation, but also for the kid who likes to get his hands dirty. The UAS operator controls the aircraft through two keyboards, a mouse, a joystick, and the continuous scanning of three computer screens. On one screen, an airplane graphic floats over 2D satellite imagery, informing the operator of the location and current state of the aircraft. On another, the operator commands various aircraft and autopilot functions. And on a third screen the operator controls the payload in support of the mission. Meanwhile, fellow UAS operators conduct scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, preparing for follow-on missions and training constantly. Attention to detail is the key to NSW operators successfully operating UAS and critical given our new CNO-directed mission to develop a "larger, hybrid fleet of manned and unmanned platforms." Not only do our operators need to be brilliant at the basics, but they must employ techniques and procedures that take full advantage of the platform’s capability. To get there, NSW UAS is participating in large Navy and Marine Corps wargame exercises to improve rotary and tilt-wing confidence integrating with unmanned assets. For example, when our unit was tasked as the red cell to simulate our competitors' capabilities on the battlefield, the integration resulted in improved tactics, techniques, and procedures for the future and skills to enable victory across all domains. The strength of a good UAS operator is in one’s ability to know the system, but more importantly, to work within a

team. NSW’s assembled team comes from Naval Aviation ratings sourced across all platforms in the Naval Aviation Enterprise that deploy to various locations such as austere environments, vessels of all types, and well-established bases. From building structures to site setup, one learns to adapt and contribute to the mission in any way possible. Depending on the mission, location, and resources, the unit must be agile and adapt to its environment. Senior leadership is not in a climatecontrolled office typing on their ergonomic keyboards and bouncing on their stability chairs. Instead, they are covered in oil doing preventative maintenance on critical components in 120-degree heat or below-freezing temperatures, cursing after they dropped yet another tiny screw in the sand at the end of a long workday. Everyone is gainfully employed, and we lean on each other's strengths to complete the mission, while egos are left at the door. The team has a clear understanding of the desired outcome and works cohesively toward that end state. These leadership traits are developed through years of high tempo operations and a "figure it out" attitude. Our team is successful because we all have stake in the game, and we rely on one another to do our own parts. As UAS operators return to manned aviation to fill priority billets within our respective communities, I would challenge every command to leverage these returning Sailors, their experiences, and knowledge to bring the manned and unmanned communities together to accomplish the CNO's priorities and national military strategy.

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Focus - UAVs and You The UAV Virtuoso

By LT Thomas "Cosmo" Sandford, USN NHA’s Air Vehicle Operator of the year, LT Cassie Gettinger, shares her operational experiences flying the MQ-8B Fire Scout Unmanned Aerial Vehicle at Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 22 with Rotor Review

s a MQ-8B Fire Scout Air Vehicle Operator (AVO) and MH-60S pilot assigned to the first ever operational East Coast deployment of the Fire Scout, LT Cassie Gettinger played an integral role in proving the Fire Scout’s usefulness in drug interdiction operations while deployed to the Caribbean aboard the USS Detroit (LCS 7), and later aboard the USS Sioux City (LCS 11). In recognition of these accomplishments, NHA named her the Air Vehicle Operator of the Year. We caught up with her to ask her some burning questions about flying and deploying with the Fire Scout during her time in HSC-22. Rotor Review: How do you feel about being named the NHA AVO Operator of the Year? Gettinger: Shocked and flattered! I didn’t even know that was an achievement I could earn. Obviously, I’m very flattered about it. Rotor Review: What separates an average Air Vehicle Operator from a superior one? Gettinger: Putting in the time and effort to be proficient with the MQ-8. It’s an extra challenge being dual qualified or triple qualified as squadrons transition from MQ-8B to MQ8C because you’re studying multiple sets of systems (along with Limits and EPs), and executing multiple NATOPS evaluations, in an effort to fly two separate aircraft operated in two totally different manners. The superior AVOs are going to be the ones able to balance the career progression focus of flying the 60 (which is definitely important) while still giving the Fire Scout studying it deserves to be skillful. I think our squadron sets a really good example of taking this balance seriously. It started with our former COs, CDRs Matt Persiani and Matt Wright, and continues with our current CO, CDR Tim Drosinos, who came in saying, “We’re going to do this, and we’re going to give it 110%.” We take it just as seriously as the MH-60S operations we conduct. Rotor Review: What are some of the benefits the Fire Scout has over the MH-60S? Gettinger: I think UAVs are definitely useful. One of the biggest advantages of the Fire Scout is that it is quieter because it is smaller, which allows you to get closer to things you’d like to investigate without being detected. It is also capable of carrying radar for surface contacts, which is something we don’t have on the MH-60S. One of the other benefits is that the Fire Scout can stream live ISR coverage to CIC aboard the ship, where the Ship’s CO, the TAO, and everyone else can be in the room with you and can see what you’re seeing.

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LT Cassie Gettinger stands next to one of HSC-22's MQ8B Fire Scout Unmanned Aerial System in the squadron's hangar. Photo Credit: HSC-22

With our LCS detachments we only have one 60 on board, so having extra eyes in the air to scan the ocean was helpful during our counter-drug deployments. For example, one of our sensor operators, AWS1 Ken Morris, spotted a single bail of cocaine floating out in the ocean, and the Fire Scout was able to loiter and keep eyes on it until we launched the MH60S to investigate it. It turns out it was empty though! Rotor Review: Is it hard to put in the same effort to studying and flying the Fire Scout as you do flying the MH-60S? Why or why not? Gettinger: Our careers as helicopter pilots put an emphasis on the MH-60S manned helicopter we fly—at the end of the day, we were selected as MH-60S pilots first. If you don’t get a qualification in the Fire Scout, it tends to not be a big deal, but if you fail to get Level III, Functional Check Pilot, or HAC in the MH-60S, that’s going to hurt your career. As we talked about earlier, it can be challenging because you have to balance all these qualifications. But, that should never take away from being proficient in the Fire Scout because it’s still a full size helicopter—not some camera drone—that can kill people like any other aircraft if mistakes are made. Rotor Review: How did you employ the Fire Scout when you were on deployment in the Caribbean? Gettinger: I’ve been on two Fire Scout deployments, and both were tasked with drug interdiction. One of those deployments was the first-ever Airborne Use of Force and Fire Scout operational deployment on the East Coast. That 40

first one was very much a learning experience. It was our first deployment flying it off the ship as a squadron, and we were testing how we can effectively employ it to identify suspect vessels and maintain coverage while either the 60 or RHIB launched with Coast Guard Law Enforcement members to interdict. On my second deployment, we were also able to use the Fire Scout to provide ISR coverage in Honduras looking at roads and bridge integrity after two back-to-back hurricanes hit the country. The J2 and Joint Task Force Bravo in South America were concerned about infrastructure, so they asked us to use the Fire Scout to check it out. Rotor Review: Which aircraft do you enjoy flying more? Gettinger: The MH-60S. The Fire Scout is really cool, it’s not as taxing on your body, and it’s nice to be flying from an air-conditioned room in the middle of the Caribbean. However, you aren’t getting the feeling of flying. The feeling of hovering off a tanker to rescue someone or landing in soccer fields to provide humanitarian aid to a country like Honduras is something you can’t get from a UAV. I enjoy the ISR aspect of the Fire Scout, but the physical thrill of flying the MH-60S is definitely my favorite! Rotor Review: When you joined the navy as a manned helicopter pilot, did you ever think you’d end up flying a drone, as well? Gettinger: Not at all. I actually always envisioned being a part of a carrier squadron. My grandfather was an A-4 Skyhawk pilot and my dad was a Prowler Naval Flight Officer, so all I grew up knowing was carrier aviation when I joined the Navy. I wanted to be a jet pilot when I came in, and then I got selected to go helicopters which I really knew nothing about. I actually soft-patched with HSC-5 which would’ve been a carrier squadron, but due to a manning shuffle a week later, they switched me to HSC-22. That was the first time I knew I’d fly a drone! Rotor Review: What had you heard about the Fire Scout prior to joining the community? Gettinger: I had actually heard mixed things about the Fire Scout in HSC-22; things like flying the Fire Scout would take away from manned helicopter hours and stuff like that. Honestly, I didn’t want to go to HSC-22. From what I’ve heard from the new check-ins, the perception of the Fire Scout has changed on the Seawall for the better, and I think it’s because when I was going through the Fire Scout training pipeline, HSC-22 had not used it operationally yet. I feel like now that it’s actually flying, we’re incorporating it into our missions, and JOs are still getting competitive shore tour billets, there are a lot more positive things to say about it! I’m actually really happy I went to HSC-22. Besides the awesome people there, I think the Fire Scout provides a unique opportunity to our squadron that no one really else has had up to this point. If you think about the fact that only one squadron—which will soon be two squadrons when HSC-28 starts flying it— out of seven on this coast actually fly it, it truly is a unique opportunity.

Rotor Review: Are you thankful you learned to fly the Fire Scout? Gettinger: I am. I think it helped me be a better MH-60S helicopter pilot because the 60 does some ISR, but mostly as a means to complete the rest of a mission. For example, for our Authorized Use of Force mission for drug interdiction, that might ultimately include expending ordinance or going into the landing zones and dropping people off...stuff like that. Up until this point, we’ve relied on other assets like the MH-60R and other external ISR assets for long-term coverage. I think being a MH-60S pilot makes you a better Fire Scout operator, because you already know what info you’d want to receive from the Fire Scout to then provide to the crew of the MH60S you’re supporting. Rotor Review: What disadvantages are there to flying an aircraft remotely, rather than being in a cockpit? Gettinger: The biggest detriment is the loss of situational awareness. When I’m sitting in a cockpit, I can look outside below me and see where I am, which has helped me out in many situations. Say you get stuck in a rainstorm, well you can just look out and see where you are. You don’t have that benefit in the Fire Scout. We fly by our senses so often to know how fast we are going and our orientation in space, but backed up by instrumentation in case those senses are called into question. But with the Fire Scout, you fly by instruments all the time—you don’t have any feedback from those senses. For example, one time we lost our link with the Fire Scout. We knew where it was going and had our lost link pattern placed appropriately. When link is lost, a “ghosted” icon appears where the computer predicts the Fire Scout will be. We had a 20 to 30-knot headwind at the time, so the UAV was only going approximately 40 knots over the ground. When it reestablished link, it was way further behind than the computer thought it was. Because the Fire Scout takes time to go through its logic, you really have to pay attention to the operating environment and the winds and be a lot more ahead of the aircraft while understanding how long certain maneuvers will take. For example, the Fire Scout can take up to seven minutes to complete an approach to landing on the ship, whereas we can land within 30 seconds with the MH60S. Rotor Review: What advice do you have for new MH60S pilots who are considering flying the Fire Scout? Gettinger: Take it seriously. Always remember you’re flying an actual aircraft even if you’re not sitting in its cockpit. And if you’re really interested in flying UAVs, don’t lose sight of the manned side of flying because your manned experience will make you a better UAV operator.

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Focus - UAVs and You Rockets and Rotors

By LT Thomas “Cosmo” Sandford, USN

f it weren’t for the chirps of frogs from the ponds and swampgrass surrounding the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport's Unmanned Aircraft Systems (MARS UAS) Airfield on any given evening, one could hear a pin drop on the runway. The secluded airfield, nestled within the confines of Virginia’s NASA Wallops Flight Facility, occupies a narrow stretch of improved swampland just big enough for a runway. The silence is only occasionally punctuated with the sound of rocket launches, and more recently, the hum of unmanned drones. While industry professionals know Fire Scout Hovering w 60s Wallops Photo: Two HSC-22 MH-60S and an MQNASA Wallops Flight Facility as a 8B Fire Scout aircraft hover above MARS UAS Airfield prior to departure. NASA flexible, cost-effective launch location Courtesy Photo) for government and commercial earth and space-bound maintenance with a day-to-day flight schedule, and gives applications, the tenant MARS UAS Airfield within it serves them the opportunity to execute flight-related maintenance a new need: providing warfighters with a superior site to hone on the Fire Scout, since all we’re able to do at our home base their skills while operating unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). is ground turns.” One of those warfighters includes Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 22 (HSC-22), the first East-Coast-based Navy squadron to deploy operationally with the MQ-8 Fire Scout Unmanned Aerial System. In addition to operating the manned MH-60S Knighthawk helicopter, the Norfolk, Virginia-based squadron also operates two variants of the MQ-8 Fire Scout UAS, and uses MARS Airfield to gain proficiency flying drones prior to deployment.

Fire Scout operations require dedicated and uncongested airspace not available at the Squadron’s home base at Chambers Field in Norfolk, Virginia, about two hours south of the MARS UAS Airfield. The vast network of restricted airspace above NASA Wallops Flight Facility provides plenty of uncrowded airspace, making it the perfect area for HSC-22 aircrews to put the Fire Scout through its paces in ways the home based simulators cannot.

“Flying at MARS UAS Airfield gives us a good opportunity to fly the Fire Scout live and work out the procedures we can’t train to in the simulator,” says LCDR Richard Mehlmann, HSC-22 Operations Officer and former HSC-22 Detachment 7 Officer-in-Charge.

“It’s the first time you can really work through the grooming process of the Mission Control Station (MCS), learn how to communicate with the GMVO, and is typically the first time you’re able to use the RADAR and the Fire Scout’s communications relay feature,” Mehlmann says. “For example, we were flying the Fire Scout over Wallops for a Combat Search and Rescue event, and we were able to relay communications via the MCS to Accomack Airfield.”

The Fire Scout requires three Sailors to operate, including an enlisted Ground Maintenance Vehicle Operator (GMVO) who interacts physically with the Fire Scout while on the ground, a commissioned Air Vehicle Operator (AVO) who commands it to launch, land, and controls its flight path, and an enlisted Mission Payload Operator (MPO) who controls the BRITE STAR Block II MTS camera system or ZPY-4 / ZPY-8 surface-search radar. “Flying there starts to build the crew resource management (CRM) process between the AVO, MPO, and GMVO,” Mehlmann says. “It also gives our maintenance department a feel for how to balance MH-60S maintenance with Fire Scout

Rotor Review #153 Summer '21

But where the Fire Scout really shines is in its ability to provide real-time intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) via its BRITE STAR Block II Multispectral Targeting System and radar, which can pipe video and radar contacts directly back into the shipboard display systems aboard the Littoral Combat Ships HSC-22 deploys in conjunction with, a feature the manned MH-60S doesn’t have, Mehlmann says. On a past training detachment to MARS UAS Airfield, the squadron flew the Fire Scout for ISR coverage concurrently with a dual-ship MH-60S direct action flight event involving about 30 opposing forces. The Fire Scout was able to get 42

comprehensive imagery coverage of the operating area and pass contacts to the ground team and the MH-60s prior to them arriving, according to Mehlmann. “That ISR coverage is great for overland missions,” Mehlmann says. “But when we use it over water, the Fire Scout is perfect for Surface Surveillance Coordination (SSC), and the radar payload contact information can actually be incorporated into the ship’s systems, as well.” Being well-versed in ISR and radar operations is essential for HSC-22 aircrews when they deploy aboard Littoral Combat Ships with one MH-60S and one Fire Scout, with each detachment lasting about four months. Deployments occur in the Carribean near South America, where the squadron is tasked with conducting Counter-Illicit Trafficking (CIT) operations to disrupt the smuggling of illegal drugs. “You can quickly launch the Fire Scout to verify suspicious radar contacts,” Mehlmann says. Once the Fire Scout verifies a contact of interest, the DET can then launch a MH-60S helicopter with embarked Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment personnel to interdict the vessel. The strategy works well, and although not all CIT operations have involved the Fire Scout, the squadron has conducted at least 12 successful interdictions since deploying with the Fire Scout. But before every squadron deploys, future Fire Scout detachment Officers-in-Charge like LCDR Dicken Counts learn to take things one step at a time at MARS UAS Airfield. He plans on deploying aboard the USS Sioux City (LCS-11) in the fall with the Fire Scout. “I’ve only flown the Fire Scout a couple times in Wallops, but from what I hear, it is a very effective asset,” Counts says. “I’m excited to launch it, send it up away from the ship, employ its radar, increase the ship’s situational awareness, see what’s out there, and then use that to our benefit.” MARS UAS Airfield detachments also provide junior officers with the chance to get more comfortable flying the aircraft around ground crews prior to deploying, something you cannot replicate in the simulator. “The first time I flew the actual aircraft, it was nervewracking,” says LT Brody Samaha, “because you have to trust that the aircraft is doing what it is supposed to be doing. You’re in a ground station 50 yards away from it, so if something goes wrong, it could come down on someone.” It also provides aircrews the opportunity to work through issues that may arise in flight. For example, Samaha experienced a loss of link with the Fire Scout vehicle and was able to practice critical procedures real-time with the Air Vehicle.

An aerial view of MARS UAS Airfield. NASA Courtesy Photo

“It was surprising, especially because I was the only pilot it happened to,” Samaha says. “I feel more comfortable with lost link scenarios after that. I had put in my lost link settings right before that, and the Fire Scout did exactly what it was supposed to do.” MARS UAS Airfield is a rare training resource. When the $5.8 million state-funded facility opened in 2017, it was designed to be a national hub for UAV testing, and was one of just six FAA test sites for UAS systems. The diminutive runway may only be 3,000 feet long by 75 feet wide, but the economic and training benefits it provides are robust. Once paired with a secure hangar and briefing facility, the presence of MARS UAS Airfield has enabled the commonwealth to capture at least $270 million in total economic impacts through 2020, according to a Virginia Space press release. By using MARS UAS Airfield to train for future deployments, HSC-22 and its pilots, maintenance personnel, and aircrew get the training they need to be better at all things Fire Scout. “I love being a Fire Scout AVO,” Samaha says. “It’s the reason why I chose to come to HSC-22. The Fire Scout is the future of naval aviation.”

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Focus - UAVs and You Moderate Bird Activity: An Aerial Pivot to Nature’s Drone Threat By LT Justin “Toto” Davis, USN

"I suddenly remembered my Charlemagne. Let my armies be the rocks, and the trees, and the birds in the sky" - Professor Henry Jones, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

n last quarter’s Rotor Review, we broke down the mechanics of a bird strike from a bird’s perspective, dissecting how a seemingly avoidable incident like a bird strike occurs. In that article however, large generalities were made in discussing specific bird characteristics by lumping the whole of the bird class into two large groups based on body size and maneuverability. This article aims to parse those groups down into smaller categories, identify some representative species in each category, and highlight their characteristics which make them threat worthy.

As for their flight behavior, both species predominantly utilize thermals to glide and soar in the search of food AKA carrion. This soaring behavior is what makes them so hazardous as they usually take flight in the afternoon, catching and riding thermal updrafts for hours at about 1,600 feet AGL. The Black Vulture in particular has even been observed to soar at altitudes of 650 feet AGL and below, mainly in the late afternoon to evening timeframe. Given their size, distribution, and soaring behavior, it’s easy to see why vultures are ranked quite high in terms of BASH hazard.

Appearing across nearly every operating environment and employing a wide range of capabilities, these naturally occurring drones if you will are an inherent threat to us at all times and at all altitudes. Each species is specially adapted to its own specific environment which means that each species also has its own set of advantages and disadvantages we can exploit to avoid a strike altogether.

Geese and other Waterfowl

Birds Analysis Appearing in order from the most hazardous to helicopters to the least, the following group descriptions provide a general overview of the bird group and then anchor down on key aspects of their physical characteristics and behavior that make them a threat to us. Hopefully this helps you to predict when and where a strike may occur based on your location, the time of year or day it is and the altitude at which you’re flying. As always, keep in mind that this list is not all inclusive.

Geese. Canadian Geese. Snow Geese. It doesn’t matter the flavor, this group of birds are large, extremely tolerant of human activity, have high population densities, and routinely squat in urban/suburban areas where food is plentiful yearround. These qualities make them a very high BASH risk. Just their size alone, close to 15 pounds for male Canada Geese, make them a considerable threat as striking one would be akin to hitting an airborne cast iron skillet, gallon of milk, or bowling ball for comparison. Not to mention, that large body size only hinders their ability to maneuver away from an aircraft should one get too close.

Vultures

When it comes to flight behavior, geese pose the highest risk for helicopters when they attempt to take flight from a field in response to an advancing aircraft flying at a low altitude. Low flying helicopters are unfortunately quite capable of stirring up animal life when in low-level flight. In terms of migratory flight altitudes, Canada Geese have been observed to fly at altitudes between 1,000 to 3,300 feet. These migration routes take them South from Canada in the winter to the southern portions of the United States then return North in the spring. With that said, increasing proportions of geese populations do remain in locations year-round if food is available.

Vultures are routinely ranked as the most hazardous bird group when it comes to bird strike risk. This is primarily due to their size, distribution, and altitude at which they fly. There are two species of vultures found throughout North America year-round, Turkey Vultures and Black Vultures. Both are known for their large body size, expansive wingspans (up to six feet) and relatively large body mass (up to 6 pounds for Black Vultures). In terms of striking an object of a similar body mass, smacking into a vulture at helicopter speed would be like hitting an adult cat, an average sized pumpkin, or two copies of Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace. Rotor Review #153 Summer '21

Birds of Prey (Eagles, Hawks, Owls, etc.)

For a carnivorous group of birds that is united by hooked beaks, talons, and superb eyesight there is a great deal of variety in terms of their body size, lifestyle, and flight behavior. Birds in this group, for example, can vary in weight from mere ounces for American kestrels to up to 14 pounds for Golden eagles. Despite this variety, those species that stand out as BASH hazards tend to share some of the characteristics of the other groups, specifically a higher body mass and a tendency to soar on thermals in search of food. One stand-out species in particular is the Bald eagle which routinely soars on thermals that put them at risky altitudes similar to that of vultures though usually higher, up to 10,000 feet AGL. Additionally, the Red-tailed hawk, being the most abundant and widespread of this group, is a particularly noteworthy threat. Despite the birds in this group having remarkable eyesight and aerial maneuverability skills they just can’t seem to stop hitting aircraft. Sea Gulls

17 species of gull inhabit the conterminous US. That’s 17 ways to have a strike. Mainly found along coast lines and forming large flocks near concentrations of food, most species pose a threat due to their attraction to human disturbed environments. Gulls average around three pounds but a wellfed Great Black-backed gull living life along the Atlantic coastline can push the scales at four pounds. In terms of flight behavior, Ring-bill gulls, which are by far the most abundant throughout the United States, routinely migrate in large flocks at 1,300 feet AGL or higher during the migrating seasons in the fall and spring. Their poundage coupled with their tendency to fly in flocks at helicopter altitudes makes them a particularly noteworthy threat. Passerines (Perching Birds)

said, a single chickadee alone wouldn’t pose a significant risk but when a murder of crows congregate in a good-sized flock, as they are known to do, the threat is very real. If there are two notorious species in the Passerines group they are the Red-winged blackbirds and European starlings as both species share the nasty tendency to flock in large numbers and fly at low altitudes. Red-winged Blackbirds for example routinely migrate at altitudes of 330 feet AGL and below, often flying under 160 feet AGL. European starlings are known to forage at altitudes below 330 feet and migrate at altitudes of over 3,300 feet, covering every altitude helicopters typically operate at. A great fact regarding European starlings is that they are actually native to Great Britain and were introduced to the US in 1890 by a one Eugene Schieffelin, an American amateur ornithologist. From the initial group of about 60 individuals he released into Central Park, the current starling population now exceeds 200 million, much to the dismay of thousands of indigenous bird species and pilots everywhere. Thanks Eugene. Conclusions The bird threat we face is ubiquitous, growing in population size, and not at all adapted to the threat we pose to them either. As our respective populations continue to grow and our operations continue to expand, the overlap between birds and humans will become more increasingly more complex and entrenched, inevitably leading to more strikes in the future. Flying in bird-free skies would be the ideal scenario but unfortunately for us, that’s not the reality. The reality is that we share the skies with ancient, well-adapted, flying dinosaurs that have no idea what a helicopter is or how much of a threat it is to them. So until we educated birds to stay to stay away from us or exterminate the skies of their presence we will have to stay aware of their presence. It’s a predicament that can be made easier to deal with if we develop some understanding of how, when, and where birds fly. You won’t overhaul a mission over a the possible presence of sea gulls in your operating area for example but you may at least be on a heightened alert if you take into account the time, altitude, and location you’ll be working in. Just remember, birds aren’t real… until you hit one

References 1. Pfeiffer, Morgan B., Blackwell, Bradely F., DeVault, Travis. L. (2018). Quantification of avian hazards to military aircraft and implications for wildlife management. PLOS ONE 13, 11 2. Jung, Jacob F., Fischer, Richard A. (2018). Regional Passerines are the perching birds. The little brown birds. Asessments and Life-history Investigations of Problematic The flocking birds. Named after the arrangement of their toes, Birds on Military Airfields. U.S. Army Engineer Research what they lack in size they make up for in sheer numbers. and Development Center Environmental Laboratory While the Common raven may weigh up to 3 pounds, most birds of this group will register mostly in ounces. With that

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Focus - UAVs and You Unmanned Battle Problem Missile Launch Integrates Manned and Unmanned Systems From Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet Public Affairs

A Seahawk medium displacement unmanned surface vessel and an MH-60R from HSM 73 participate in U.S. Pacific Fleet’s (UxS IBP) 21. U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Shannon Renfroe

he U.S. Navy launched a missile at a long-range target successfully as a part of Unmanned Integrated Battle Problem (UxS IBP) 21 off the coast of San Diego, April 25. The destroyer USS John Finn (DDG-113) launched the Extended Range Active Missile (SM-6), striking a target well beyond the line of sight. Integrated manned and unmanned systems established a track for the launch. “The missile shoot was definitely challenging but ultimately incredibly rewarding. We were able to see our team’s planning efforts culminate in yesterday’s successful shoot,” said LCDR Ryan Doyle, UxS IBP 21 lead live-fire planner. “This entire exercise was a great opportunity to get staff exercise planners, program designers and most importantly Sailors to work together and integrate multiple unmanned capabilities that are tactically relevant in many areas of the world today.” The missile launch comes at the conclusion of UxS IBP 21. “The integrated capabilities demonstrated this week are tactically crucial to improve our warfighting advantage,” said CAPT T.J. Zerr, commodore, Destroyer Squadron 21. “Unmanned technologies are being rapidly integrated into the Fleet for use, and our gained advantage is in the integration and collaboration between manned and unmanned capabilities tailored to the particular situation and phase of conflict.” UxS IBP 21 is a U.S. Pacific Fleet exercise, executed by U.S. 3rd Fleet, designed to integrate manned and unmanned capabilities into operational scenarios to generate warfighting advantages. The week-long event involves surface, subsurface, and aerial unmanned assets, operating with littoral combat ships, guided-missile destroyers, guided-missile cruisers, submarines and helicopter squadrons.

Rotor Review #153 Summer '21

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Features On Glideslope for Retirement By VADM Dean Peters, USN

he word “retirement” conveys a distinct aspect of finality - the end of the line, the closing of a one-way door. So, as I prepare for transition this Fall, I want to take a moment to share some thoughts while still in uniform. First of all, it’s really good to have this forum to connect. The Rotary Wing Community is a special band of warfighters, and Rotor Review provides a SITREP on topics of immediate interest throughout one’s career. I’ve also found that it’s great for keeping everything in perspective. Feeling boastful? Read about the Coast Guard crew that rescued shipwreck victims in Sea State 5. Commissioned in May 1985 and winged in August 1986, I’ve seen some major changes in the Navy, and none more remarkable than the importance and lethality of the Rotary Wing Community. We now have the sensors, links, and weapons systems to play a significant role in the spectrum of conflicts that the Navy is tasked to manage. Rotary Wing aviation is integral to the carrier strike group, expeditionary strike group, surface action group and independent steamer. Our intrepid aviators, making use of diverse capabilities, can control the network, extend the reach of ships and air wings, and complete the kill chain, when required. It’s pretty amazing what Rotary Wing brings to the fight. Another big change is the upper mobility of our personnel, both officers and enlisted. We’re now routinely represented at the 3-star level and even have a 4-star Vice Chief of Naval Operations. Our maintainers go on to become Senior Chiefs, Master Chiefs and are highly competitive for Command Master Chief positions. Although this might be an overgeneralization, Rotary Wing aviators and maintainers are inherently problem solvers due to the ever-changing, multimission nature of our tasking (and the complicated nature of our aircraft). We also tend to have a solid understanding of the surface and sub-surface communities and operations due to the nature of our mission sets. All of this is good for the Navy, and brings diversity of experience and thought to the upper levels of Navy leadership. By way of lessons learned, I’ll offer just one thing that I wish I had known earlier in my career - the importance of our core values: honor, courage, commitment, and now also respect. The Navy core values are like an anchor chain. You don’t always need the security that a strong anchor chain provides, but when you need it, you really need it. It’s not only important to live the core values, but also to hold ourselves and each other accountable. This accountability is the aspect that I wish I had realized earlier. Erosion of accountability is almost always a leading indicator of unit and organizational ineffectiveness, and is often the precondition for calamitous collapse. I want to thank those who have gone before us in Rotor Review #153 Summer '21

NAVAIR Vice Admiral Dean Peters visits CNATTU Lemoore and awards the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal to instructors AT1 Shive and AT1 Norris for their actions in successfully delivering the first Burst Course to Fleet technicians last month onboard NAS Lemoore. U.S. Navy Photo by AT2 Collins.

uniform. They have set the conditions for professionalism, for transformation, and for community success. As part of my transition request to SECDEF, I had to answer the following question: what is your proudest accomplishment? There are many events that I look back on with pride: reenlistments, watching those who I have mentored take command, winning various unit awards and recognitions. Ultimately, this is what I submitted: "As a helicopter pilot, I am most proud of the capabilities that have been delivered to the Rotary Wing Community, as well as the high level of sustained readiness and exemplary safety record of our Fleet equipment. Throughout my career, and even as a flag officer, I have been blessed to operate Rotary Wing aircraft, lead a Rotary Wing squadron, and be in subsequent positions that directly support the Rotary Wing Community. You really can’t ask for more from a Naval career.." The Rotary Wing Community is a special band of warfighters. Keep learning, keep accelerating, keep holding each other accountable, and by all means, keep your turns up! With utmost respect, Dean Peters Vice Admiral, U.S. Navy

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Features It Is Time to Overhaul the Navy’s Mentor Culture By LCDR Adam “SARA” Moffit, USN

y highlighting the importance of relationships, or “Connections,” and specifically discussing the decisive nature of mentorship, the Navy Leader Development Framework 3.0 provides the strategic foundation for an overhaul of the Navy’s mentoring model. The current mentoring model just isn’t working. The formal, mandatory E-6 and below program has become an outdated administrative burden, a check in the block for many. The informal E-7 and up program, if it can be called a program, leaves the Navy’s leaders to find mentors and protégés by chance or not at all. Some Echelon II commands, like the Judge Advocate General Corps and Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, established their own programs that include all ranks, but they are the exception, not the rule. The Navy must move beyond the program model by maturing its mentor culture to better address the Force’s needs in order to achieve enduring change and peak operational readiness. Maturing the Navy’s mentor culture should be part of the strategic efforts that are already underway. In NAVADMIN 254/19, Culture of Excellence, the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), Admiral Michael M. Gilday, defined a Culture of Excellence as “a culture focused on the high ideals espoused in our Core Values of Honor, Courage, and Commitment,” which ultimately produces Sailors that are “ready to win wars, deter aggression and maintain freedom of the seas.” The CNO is proposing we improve operational readiness by knowing, supporting and developing our people. This is a desirable and familiar end state, but how do we get there? What will change? Over the past three years, senior leaders have worked hard to better frame the problem, articulate the operational approach, and highlight key lines of effort in Design 2.0, Navy Leader Development Framework Version 3.0, and Signature Behaviors of the 21st Century Sailor. Reshaping our mentor culture must be one of the foundational efforts in this larger cultural shift because it directly impacts our ability to know, support and develop Sailors, and provides a bridge to connect doctrine to the deckplates. These changes are about more than a mentor program rewrite, they are about changing attitudes toward mentorship in the Navy altogether. The Navy’s mentor culture transformation, like other major ongoing initiatives, should be guided with clear strategic vision from senior leadership as a cornerstone of the 21st Century Sailor platform. Instead of rolling mentorship into “Inclusion and Diversity,” as it is currently on MyNavyHR, the Navy should break it out as a standalone focus area. While inclusion and diversity are important objectives for the Navy, a mentor culture serves to accomplish much more than these important outcomes. Mentoring is central to accomplishing both tangible and intangible objectives. Tangible objectives include better retention, increased competition with industry, and improved overall performance by learning lessons of Rotor Review #153 Summer '21

the past from those who experienced them first hand and applying them to current operations. Intangible objectives include improved understanding and belief in the mission, more widespread trust within the organization, and expanded personal and professional perspectives. Inclusion and diversity are fruits of a healthy mentor culture, not the other way around. The strategic vision must incorporate well-structured, actionable components and processes that are aligned with overarching objectives. At its core, mentor culture derives its effectiveness through relationships, or connections, but it is important to articulate the specific structure by which those relationships are formed and maintained. Components should include developing an intuitive mentor-protégé digital interface, establishing a voluntary mentoring program that is tailored to the Force’s personal and professional needs, and integrating mentor opportunities into existing conferences and events. Process improvements should include

"At its core, mentor culture derives its effectiveness through relationships, or connections, but it is important to articulate the specific structure by which those relationships are formed and maintained." integrating expectations and the benefits of mentoring into existing enlisted and officer training pipelines, developing a straightforward mentor pairing plan that is aligned with the enlisted and officer leader development paths, and providing periodic opportunities to provide feedback during a Sailor’s career. These components and processes will provide the minimum necessary structure to ensure the Force understands intent and expectations, while also fostering confidence and trust in the overall mentor culture shift. Although each of these components and processes needs to be described in greater detail to be operationalized, addressing specific aspects of the improved mentoring program first is appropriate because it will likely serve as the centerpiece of the culture shift. While some Sailors are and will continue benefiting from naturally-formed mentor relationships, many would benefit from a structured program to overcome personal or professional barriers that prevent their participation (e.g., personality type or lack of command emphasis). The program should be voluntary, tailorable, straightforward, and provide a combination of both formal and informal options (e.g., 1-to-1 mentoring, circle mentoring, and peer mentoring). Many well-run and well-intentioned mentoring programs fail because they are obligatory. Mentors and protégés who have no interest in the program or its aims are required to participate and, as a result, damage its credibility and decrease its effectiveness. The program must be voluntary. The program

must also be tailored to the needs of its audience. For the Navy, this means the program should not be oriented to a unit, but to the individual at key decision points in a Sailor’s career (e.g., approaching reenlistment, department head, post-command). Lastly, it should contain technologically relevant content, with an application-based digital interface and options for digital conferencing. Sailors expect and are accustomed to using streamlined digital interfaces. Without one, the program will lose interest before ever having the chance to share why the program exists or what it has to offer. Leaders must engage Sailors where they are in a way they understand to get them where they need to go. Many fear a formal program overhaul will become an even greater administrative burden than its predecessor, but this is about changing mentor culture, not a program. Mentor programs of the past were about, or at least became about, the programs themselves. The administrative program became the objective because of how it was executed and assessed. This is common amongst military programs: control and measure what you can because it is easier than controlling and measuring what you must. From an execution standpoint, making participation mandatory ensured coverage across the Force, but, as mentioned previously, doing so undermined the program’s intended outcomes through a loss of credibility. Mentoring should be taught in recruit training and commissioning programs if the Navy wants to ensure a baseline knowledge across the Force. From an assessment standpoint, the most convenient way to evaluate the program was during annual administrative inspections, where other personnel programs were assessed. Although this method made sense in terms of mentoring being a “people program,” the inspection focused exclusively on measures of performance (MOP),

i.e., whether a Sailor is assigned a mentor. In the meantime, measures of effectiveness (MOE), i.e., whether a mentorprotégé relationship results in personal and/or professional development, went unmeasured and the program failed, while everything seemed to run smoothly. The program, but really culture, must be measured in new ways to capture whether intangible objectives are met. Navy leadership must ensure execution focuses on the objective and assessment criteria measures whether we are doing the right things to avoid an overly administrative focus during this culture shift. The timing is right for an overhaul of the Navy’s Mentor Culture, and leadership must include mentoring as part of the current leader development and Culture of Excellence efforts. Mentorship is about passing on lessons learned to the next generation, challenging and expanding the less experienced perspective, diversifying the more experienced perspective, and increasing understanding of both mentor and protégé. For the Navy, a healthy and strong mentor culture with formal and informal opportunities will mean increased retention, operational readiness, and mission effectiveness. A clear vision with actionable components and processes, based on achievable objectives, is crucial to the culture’s transformation. Leadership must include both measures of performance and effectiveness, based on the same objectives, to assess the culture shift’s success, ensure efforts remain relevant, and minimize administrative burden. Leaders often describe Sailors as the Navy’s most valuable asset. Now is the time to invest in the connections that will help those Sailors develop into the Navy’s future leaders.

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Features Into the GOO: Our Corona Cruise Experience By LT John Gildersleeve and LTJG Haley Wahrhaftig

our AGM-114 Hellfire, 1200 rounds 7.62mm, a fullyloaded countermeasure system, and USS Philippine Sea (CG 58) rapidly approached the Strait of Hormuz (SoH). This transit would be the 10th of 18 total SoH transits for Philippine Sea and the HSM-48.4 Man-O-Wars, the embarked MH-60R detachment. However, for two wideeyed Helicopter Second Pilots, these high-profile flights were our first flights in a forward-deployed environment as part of the detachment. The sorties we flew that day provided a sense of validation to the countless hours of studying and training we had put in during the past three years of flight school and the FRS, but it also marked the end of an unexpected journey. Mid-deployment H2P swaps are common in an expeditionary squadron, as they often are the only solution to provide necessary deployment experience to prospective aircraft commanders. This was the case for us, but, as with most things in 2020, our travels to get there were neither easy nor ordinary. Three weeks prior to the transit we arrived at Jacksonville International Airport early in the morning, each with more duffel bags than we could carry. We were responsible for transferring our flight gear in addition to everything else we would need for our time underway. After we made it through the gate, we rendezvoused with an aircrewman who was new to the command and who was also part of the mid-deployment personnel swap. Our final destination was Manama, Bahrain, where we would isolate in a hotel for 14 days for COVID mitigations before boarding the ship. After a delay in Newark, a missed flight in Frankfurt, and a layover in London, we arrived in Bahrain three days later. Following a quick COVID test at the airport in Bahrain, the CTF-55 Beach DET picked us up and escorted us to our individual hotel rooms. Opening the door to the hotel room and finally setting our bags down brought a great deal of relief, but it was quickly accompanied by the sinking feeling of knowing we would be quarantined in this room for at least two weeks. As we settled into our rooms, it was still unclear whether the next few weeks would go as planned. After catching up on some much needed sleep, we each developed similar routines to pass the time. Reading, watching movies, studying, talking to loved ones back home, and working out in the 3x6 foot area of open floor space – there was not much more we could do. Naturally, the time in the hotel was lonely, but it provided an opportunity to relax before getting to the ship. We did not realize how stressful our fast-paced lives in the U.S. were until we were forced to take two weeks off in a 5-star Bahraini hotel.

Rotor Review #153 Summer '21

LT John Gildersleeve and LTJG Haley Wahrhaftig, members of the HSM-48 Detachment 4 Man-O-Wars, on the deck of USS Philippine Sea (CG 58).

The time passed slowly, but on day 10 we emerged from our rooms to receive our final COVID tests before we would be cleared to embark the ship. All tests came back negative, and on day 14 we met the Beach Det in the lobby for checkout. We joined a few sailors who had also quarantined at the hotel, some of whom had been there for as long as 40 days! After a short drive, we arrived at the airport where we met the HSC-26.1 Desert Hawks, and hitched our ride to the final destination of this trek. The flight out was smooth, and at last we had reached the ship. Upon arrival, we were ushered to the quarterdeck by the medical team. Excited to start flying and integrate into the detachment, our introductory brief from the ship’s senior medical corpsman all but crushed our spirits. Our time in quarantine was only two-thirds complete. We understood that there might have been some COVID mitigations on the ship, but they were stricter than expected. If we were not going to a meal on the mess decks, we were expected to be in our racks with the curtains closed. After two weeks in relative luxury, this week was tough. However, we understood that the strict quarantine measures were necessary to ensure we were COVID-free before entering the ship’s bubble; thereby not infecting others or impacting the ship’s operational mission. Nevertheless, the time passed, and our H2P swap in the “new normal” COVID environment was complete. We came out of our staterooms, mask free, and joined the detachment. We were on the flight schedule that same day, as the ship began its Strait of Hormuz transit. In our case, it wasn’t just the destination, but the unusual journey we had to take to get to this point that made it all worth it. Our experience demonstrated that the Navy is prepared to meet complex problems with equally intricate solutions. Despite the complications of COVID-19, the Navy continues to accomplish its mission, while prioritizing the safety of its people. 52

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Features Building the Plane While Flying It: Naval Aviation’s Return to Rota By LT Meg “Magic” Snyder and LT Ben “Kimbo” Weaver

hen you report to a new squadron, you normally have some idea of what you are getting into. Whether it’s a familiar face in the ready room or the squadron’s reputation, there is usually something to gage expectations. We did not have that luxury in October 2020. We were the first pilots to PCS from HSM-79 in San Diego to our new home in Rota, Spain. There hadn’t been a permanent Naval Aviation presence in Rota in decades, and it showed on the dilapidated, critter-infested old VP hangar next to our spaces. With three newly delivered trailers and two yet-to-be erected temporary hangars, we were truly starting at square one halfway through our first fleet tour. We had no idea what our workspaces would look like or how we would conduct flight operations on a foreign military’s base. When we stepped onto the tarmac at Base Naval de Rota, everything was uncharted territory.

When we first arrived in Rota, our squadron didn’t have an aircraft to our name. After over a month without a helicopter, we were able to acquire one from a detachment from HSM48. Shortly after that we received two more helicopters via C-17, with an additional pair scheduled to come over on a DDG this summer. We’ll eventually grow to nine aircraft by 2022. Logistically, everything is more difficult and simply takes longer. We never imagined what it would be like to have a slower supply chain. We have been fortunate to be stationed, up until now, in a major fleet concentration area in San Diego and deployed to Fifth Fleet which has been the central war effort for our whole lives. Those areas have a welloiled logistics machine that coordinates military operations as efficiently as realistically possible. Needless to say, we were spoiled and didn’t even know it. Shipments to Rota have to go through other hubs which can create significant delays to getting our aircraft up.

We knew we had many challenges in front of us, but we had no idea of the depth and breadth of obstacles we’d have to overcome just to start flying area fam flights. We had to work through near-zero existing infrastructure, there was no one to pass down the gouge, and we had to figure all of this out during the COVID pandemic. Talk about a reallife leadership laboratory. Sailors of all ranks have had to be creative and flexible in order to overcome everything from lack of commercial international flights, to one grounding point in the hangar, to missing a screw on an aircraft, and do it all safely. Every step of the way our team members have endured and lifted each other up during difficult professional and personal times. The decisions we make together, the precedents we set, and the relationships we build will pave the generations of Griffins to come.

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Our experience has been exhilarating and eye opening. We are fortunate to have this opportunity to recognize the effort and organization that allows us to do our job. The infrastructure supporting an aviation squadron often goes unnoticed and unappreciated by pilots when the system is firmly established and running smoothly. After all, our mission is to fly the aircraft, but there are so many factors that go into making that possible. Going on eight months here in Spain, we now have three aircraft, two tent hangars, and trailers for offices. We started with about 30 people and now we have 70 including a detachment deployed aboard USS Roosevelt (DDG 80). We have grown so much and we have only just begun. HSM-79’s 2019 deployment was on USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) as a component of a Carrier Air Wing, but in Spain we will deploy on Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. In addition to an international move and global pandemic, our squadron is adapting to the expeditionary organizational structure. We are the primary aviation stakeholder because we are the only one. Expeditionary squadrons must ensure each of their detachments has the appropriate composition of personnel and qualifications prior to deployment. We have additionally needed to figure out how we could amass the correct number of usable aircraft and necessary parts to conduct qualification flights and deploy.

We are excited to pave a new path for maritime strike helicopters in Sixth Fleet. Not many pilots have the opportunity to make history on their first sea tour. Our experience preparing the detachment for deployment has been awe-inspiring as we have been exposed to the very fabric of what makes Naval Aviation excellent: the hardworking, versatile Sailors that live for the challenge. We are deeply moved to be an element of a global support network reestablishing Naval Aviation in Rota.

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Features Folding Jayhawks to Boost U.S. Coast Guard Reach at Sea By Dan Parsons, Vertical Magazine published March 2021

oldable MH-60T Jayhawk helicopters, suitable for stowing aboard seagoing U.S. Coast Guard cutters, will lengthen the operational reach of those ships and eventually become the standard aviation platform for deployed vessels, according to the service’s Flight crew members from U.S. Coast Guard Aviation Training Center Mobile highest-ranking officer. maintain and inspect their MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter on the USCGC Stone (WMSL 758) off Florida U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class John Hightower.

The Coast Guard is in the process of boosting its fleet of larger Jayhawks while reducing the number of smaller MH65 Dolphin helicopters and tasking the remaining fleets to missions that suit their respective capacities and range, according to Commandant Adm. Karl Schultz.

aboard National Security Cutters, and our future Polar Security and Offshore Patrol cutters,” Schultz said. “Looking across our two rotary-wing fleets, we find the Jayhawk has a robust domestic industrial base that can help buy down our operating risk in the decade ahead.”

“I see the future of the Coast Guard is going to be shipboard, deployed rotary-wing aviation capability,” Schultz said March 11, during his annual State of the Coast Guard address. Where an MH-65 has about 90 minutes of mission flight time, an MH-60T can stay in the air more than four hours, Schultz said.

The Coast Guard deploys the smaller MH-65D/E Dolphin helicopters on its larger National Security and High Endurance cutters. Those ships and the new Polar Security Cutters likely will carry Jayhawks to sea on future deployments beyond 2022, while the Dolphin will remain the baseline aviation platform for smaller coastal ships that require less operational reach, Schultz said.

“It’s a more powerful, capable aircraft,” he said during the speech, delivered at Coast Guard Sector San Diego in California. “Not to diminish what our Dolphin helicopters are doing, but I think it increases the bubble around our ship, the ability to be effective.” Schultz praised the Dolphin as “tremendous” but said they are difficult to maintain and spare parts are scarce now that the MH-65, initially built by Aérospatiale Helicopter Corporation, then Eurocopter (now Airbus Helicopters) are no longer in production. “They don’t build them anymore, so when you stop building things you start to think about parts from a longevity standpoint,” Schultz said. There are 98 MH-65s in the Coast Guard’s inventory and about 45 MH-60Ts. Plans are to reduce the number of Dolphins while increasing the number of Jayhawks in operation, Schultz said. That will be accomplished by taking over operation of Navy MH-60 Seahawks when they have about 8,000-9,000 hours on them, then refurbishing and reconfiguring them to Coast Guard specs. The Coast Guard then plans to put another 20,000 flight hours on the MH60Ts, he said. “Two weeks ago, in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, I observed our first MH-60 Tango Jayhawk outfitted with blade-fold/tail-fold capability that will enable deployment Rotor Review #153 Summer '21

A Polar Security Cutter is likely the first vessel where an MH-60T will be deployed as the baseline aviation capability, in order to lengthen the ship’s reach at the remote ends of the earth, Schultz said. “Polar security cutters, when you think about the distance they operate, that extra three-four hours of operating parameter, that would serve itself well when you get down to Antarctica,” which the Coast Guard did in 2019 to perform treaty inspection for the first time in more than 20 years, Schultz said. “An MH-60 Tango down there, that would really expand our reach,” he added. Within the next 18 months, the Coast Guard should have ironed out a proof-of-concept for deploying Jayhawks aboard some of its cutters, Schultz said. The engineering work on the first folding MH-60T was just completed in Elizabeth City. There are no plans to retire the MH-65 completely. Some of the fleet are undergoing service life extension and capability upgrades. In support of U.S. Northern Command and NORAD, the Coast Guard has begun installing Link 16 communication equipment aboard Dolphin helicopters stationed at the National Capital Regional Air Defense Facility. “This tactical datalink will better link our aircraft that perform this important capital region mission,” Schultz said. 56

“I think the 98 [Dolphin fleet] comes down; maybe ultimately the mission we do around the capital for the lowand-slows . . . we probably stay in that game,” Schultz said. MH-65s also will “probably stay in the [Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron] HITRON at sea . . . the counter-drug missions that shoots out the engines [of suspected smuggling vessels]. That probably stays a Dolphin mission for a while.”

Meanwhile, the Coast Guard continues to transition its land bases from the Dolphin to the Jayhawks, increasing its offshore patrol as search-and-rescue range. In 2021, the aviation unit at Air Station Borinquen in Puerto Rico will replace its MH65s with MH-60Ts, which will add “additional reach and contingency response capability to the eastern Caribbean, not to mention a likely land-based aviation use-of-force capability,” Schultz said. “Air Station New Orleans will be the next to transition.”

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Features PEP Part 1: What Is PEP? I’m Interested… LT Randall A. Perkins IV, USN

f you were like me, you had heard whispers of Personnel Exchange Program (PEP) flying opportunities. You were aware that there might be some exchange gigs out in the world of Naval Aviation, but you never really dug into it. You had met one, possibly two, pilots from your community who had returned from a PEP tour and “lived to tell the tale.” They “lived to tell the tale” in the sense that they successfully progressed to their next tour or career checkpoint (such as DH) despite the risk to their career that they had accepted by pursuing an “off-path” job. For those taking PEP billets, “living to tell the tale” was a not a guarantee because until recently, certain communities had not yet begun to realize the true value of PEP tours. This is a value that not only benefits the individual, but one that will also benefit that individual’s service community. To paraphrase a prior skipper of mine, “there is something unique about living overseas, being immersed in another culture, and taking part in a foreign unit that is an envelope expanding experience. It forces you to adapt, get humbled in the process, and see things differently. All great attributes we want in our future leaders.” Maybe you romanticized about the opportunity to fly overseas with an exchange unit but assumed your timing would never work out. The adventurous notion of piloting an aircraft in another language and exploring a new part of the world was always a dream, but never a real option. Well, I’m here today to tell you that these tours do exist, they are possible, and it seems Naval Aviation as a whole has started to increase their value…in my unofficial opinion. In fact, the PEP community has grown significantly in size since 2008. It is possible that more communities have started to value a diverse range of experiences in their leadership, increasing the appetite and availability for these opportunities. A caveat before we begin: The information provided here is not official; it comes from my own experience in a Navy PEP flying billet, and I am still learning as I go. Any other prior or current PEP officers, specifically within naval aviation, please contact me with any and all corrections to the information I provide. The purpose of this article and follow-on PEP articles will be to try and share details regarding the following: general overview of PEP and the requirements, aeronautical differences between the MH60S “Knighthawk” and AS365 “Dauphin”, lessons learned from flying in a foreign language, and a compare/contrast of US Naval Aviation and French Naval Aviation. I’ll start with a bit of background on myself to give you an idea of how I ended up here and then dive into the beginning details of PEP and the initial requirements of the program Rotor Review #153 Summer '21

AS-365 Dauphin N

that we will cover in “PEP Part 1.” My name is LT Randall A. Perkins IV, an MH-60S pilot by trade currently serving my disassociated sea tour with La Flottille 35F, a French Naval Aviation helicopter unit stationed out of Hyères BAN - Base d’aéronautique navale. The 35F flies a few different models of the AS365 Dauphin and is comprised of several detachments. They supply the Search & Rescue (SAR) detachment onboard the Charles de Gaulle (CDG) French Aircraft Carrier along with several “Le Service Publique,” or Coastal SAR (coast guard) units for the coast of France and one or two other remote French territories. Additionally, they also have the odd pop-up detachment here and there onboard various French vessels. The unit is representative of a Helicopter Sea Combat (HSC) Expeditionary (EXP) squadron mixed with a United States Coast Guard (USCG) squadron. Prior to this tour I had the great pleasure of conducting two Landing Helicopter Deck (LHD) deployments with my initial Fleet Squadron (HSC-21 “Blackjacks”) out of San Diego, CA on both the USS Essex (LHD 2) and USS Makin Island (LHD 8). Following my initial sea tour, I completed my shore tour with Helicopter Sea Combat Wing Pacific (HSCWP) and HSC-3. My flying during this tour was spent primarily as an instructor with the Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS) of HSC-3 but I also had the opportunity to fly with several other HSCWP squadrons during my time as a Wing Instructor Pilot (IP). I was lucky enough to have the chance to fly as an additionally qualified pilot during work-ups onboard the LHD with my prior squadron the “Blackjacks,” with the HSC-8 “Eightballers” while serving as one of the Rim of the Pacific Exercise - Helicopter Element Coordinators (RIMPAC HECs) in Hawaii, with the HSC-12 “Golden Falcons” in Atsugi, Japan, and with the HSC-25 “Island Knights” in Guam during Command Assist Visits (CAVs) provided by HSCWP. Additional San Diego squadrons such as HSC-23 and HSC-14 were also fantastic units to work with flying anything from Day FAMs to UGR flights. The chance to integrate and fly with several HSC squadrons during my time 58

as the T&R Officer at the Wing was a “super” (as the French say) way to learn, listen, and understand the hardships and troubles facing the squadrons and what we at the Wing could do to assist. So how did I end up here? As I approached the end of my tour, I went through the normal discussion of job opportunities. I was hungry to do something different and had fantastic leadership to whom I could turn for advice. In the last month or so of discussion I was lucky enough to discover that a PEP tour aligned with my timing. The chance to experience a new culture, learn a language, and fly abroad was the challenge I was looking for, and I accepted the position. It could also possibly serve as a phenomenal chance to bring a different perspective back to my naval aviation community. Little did I know that I needed to pass an aptitude test first…but, before we discuss specific PEP requirements, let’s discuss some of the details regarding PEP, its background, and the goals of the Personnel Exchange Program. If you were like me and your world existed only inside of the aviation bubble you probably thought PEP stood for “pilot exchange program.” PEP, in fact, stands for “Personnel Exchange Program” and for the most part exists in every community in the Navy in some form. PEP is not only available to aviators or officers but everyone from an enlisted US Navy Linguist to a US Navy Submarine officer, a lawyer, SEAL, or a Supply Officer. The list goes on. The US Navy currently conducts 203 exchanges with 20 foreign nations as well as a plethora of inter-service exchanges with the US Army, Air Force, and Coast Guard. This number continues to grow as more partners and allies see the value of the exchange program. In terms of US Naval aviation PEP billets, specifically rotary, the opportunities are limited; but amongst Naval Aviation as a whole, there are numerous opportunities. In 2008 the program was significantly overhauled and nearly tripled in size which was a result of the desire to enhance interoperability with partner navies and services. This sentiment was even further emphasized in the US National Defense Strategy, published in 2018 by former Secretary of Defense, General James N. Mattis (USMC, Ret.) with one of the three main priorities being “strengthening alliances and attracting new partners”. General Mattis went on to say: “By working together with allies and partners we amass the greatest possible strength for the long-term advancement of our interests, maintaining favorable balances of power that deter aggression and support the stability that generates economic growth. When we pool resources and share responsibility for our common defense, our security burden becomes lighter. Our allies and partners provide complementary capabilities and forces along with unique perspectives, regional relationships, and information that improve our understanding of the environment and expand our options. Allies and partners also provide access to critical regions, supporting a widespread basing and logistics system that underpins the Department’s global reach.”

PEP perhaps plays one of the US Navy’s most significant roles in building the foundation amongst our allies with its main goals directly interwoven into the US National Defense Strategy. Those goals are neatly summarized below by the official Navy PEP instruction, OPNAVINST 5700.7: 1.) Enhance inter-service relationships 2.) Share the experience, professional knowledge, and doctrine of the respective services to the maximum extent possible within existing laws and policies 3.) Foster in the personnel exchanged an appreciation within the exchange personnel and the exchange unit a mutual appreciation for the policies and doctrines of their respective services 4.) Encourage mutual confidence, understanding, and respect necessary to strengthen relationships between participating military services Per OPNAVINST 5700.7 the tour length for PEP is typically two years. This timeline varies by community depending upon which milestone you are approaching. The “Navy” aka OPNAVINST 5700.7 states that selected personnel must be capable of representing the U.S. Navy with tact and diplomacy and that the individual must be highly motivated for such duty. This makes sense as depending on the type of PEP tour, you may be the only US military service member in your area; thus you will be representing not only yourself but the US Navy and the American military as a whole. Often times you will have been a top performer at your pervious unit, and the US Navy is now sending you off to be not only a pilot in a foreign unit but also a liaison between the two services. The chances are high that you might be the first or only US service member some of the soldiers or sailors in your foreign unit encounter during their career. As a PEP officer you will very much be alone, afraid, and quite frankly…uncomfortable. The Navy’s desire for an “individual highly motivated for such duty” will come into play as you find yourself far from the usual support of the US military. For the most part there isn’t a NEX or commissary you can turn to, an MWR office for activities or outdoor hobbies, or an on-base medical clinic to run to. Many PEP billets do not exist near US Military Installations, you are out on your own and need to have the self-drive to integrate with the culture as much as possible. You’ll have to rely on your newfound language skills or perhaps, if lucky, fellow PEP personnel in the area to survive. Now that you have a broad picture of what PEP is, let’s talk about what happens when you are actually selected for PEP orders, and the requirements that follow before you move overseas and start your position as a member of the program. Once the option and timing of PEP is made available to you, you will need to pass an abstract thinking exam called the Defense Language Aptitude Battery Test (DLAB), if the country you are slated for is a non-English speaking country. 59

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Features This exam is computer-based using audio and visual “tests/ questions” to evaluate your aptitude to learn a language. Individuals can take the test at a variety of various military installations across the country. Languages are categorized based off their difficulty, and each requires a certain DLAB score. For example, a Level 1 language includes languages such as French or Spanish. A level 4 language includes languages such as Arabic or Japanese. Level 2 includes German, and Level 3 includes languages such as Czech or Greek. The lower level a language, such as Level 1, the lower score or “aptitude” required on the DLAB. At the time of this article the minimum score for a Level 1 language was 95 out of 176 points available on this ~126 question multiple choice test. I’ve listed the language categories and associated DLAB scores below. 95 for a Category I language (Dutch, French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish) 100 for a Category II language (German) 105 for a Category III language (Belorussian, Czech, Greek, Hebrew, Persian, Polish, Russian, Serbian/Croatian, Slovak, Tagalog [Filipino], Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese) 110 for a Category IV language (Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean) Once the DLAB is complete your next step is orders to the Defense Language Institute (DLI), the military’s primary language institution. DLI is where you will learn your target language with a M – F, 0800 – 1500 daily schedule for an approximately nine month or longer course, depending on your language category. Your language learning can take place either at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC) in Monterey, CA, DLI – Washington, or an institution of equal caliber [as far as I am aware this is usually reserved in Washington for certain billets / languages]. At the end of your course, you’ll need to pass the Defense Language Proficiency Test (DLPT) which is comprised of a Reading / Listening / Speaking score presented in the format “2/2/1+”. A “2/2/1+” is the minimum score to pass the DLPT exam. The exam is comprised of three individual tests: a three-hour reading exam, a three-hour listening exam (both of which are conducted on a computer within a testing center), and an approximately 45-60 min speaking exam conducted over the phone in an appropriate testing room. All tests are conducted on separate days. The scoring system gives the following grades: 0, 0+ 1, 1+, 2, 2+, or 3. After passing your second checkpoint, the DLPT (first checkpoint being the DLAB), you’ll off to your PEP unit with various ISTOPs in between depending on the PEP country, where your US Military Chain of Command will be located, and various other factors. Items such as an overseas screening, Official Passport, and VISA will have to be obtained in the process. My recommendations if interested in/selected for PEP are as follows:

Rotor Review #153 Summer '21

1. DLAB – Search online for various commentary and videos regarding the DLAB. You can sign up for a testing appointment at a local DLAB testing center (I took mine at Naval Base San Diego) and see how you do. Warning – The DLAB can only be taken every 6 months at the moment. The test will only take an hour or two and has timed sections. 2. DLI – The language learning process at DLI is intense. You will receive all the necessary grammar and vocabulary for building a strong base. You will be able to express basic desires, go to the store, ask for help with directions, recite stories in the past / present / future and give descriptions of your family members. What you will not have under your belt is the ability to describe the inner workings of an aircraft fuel system or the complex arresting gear systems on the aircraft carrier. That will come with time. My recommendation if selected for PEP is to start with pronunciation and listening before starting the DLI course. It might seem simple but grasping the pronunciation and sounds of a language will free you up to focus on the grammar and new vocabulary terms throughout the course. 3. PEP Unit – Your unit might have publications in both languages. After all, in reference to PEP flying billets, English is the language of the skies. However, I strongly urge you to create an American “English”/Native Language Blue Brains, checklist, kneeboard card, passdown, etc. for the position/ country you’re in. This might be common knowledge or practice for some but if not done it can be a significant hinderance to your successor. We all love a good turnover binder and as you change from one American military member to the next you can continue to improve and increase the performance of the PEP position and therefore the performance of person in the position by providing the right resources. You will only be competing against yourself in this PEP job, so it is up to you to help improve the reputation of Naval Aviation by preparing your replacement. The PEP pilot I replaced made a significant effort to create a comprehensive passdown which will allow for the achievements in this position to continue to grow for years to come. Everything detailed in this article comes from my own experience and research with the intent to shed as much light as I can on this unique path for those who are curious, as well as to emphasize PEP’s importance within the US Navy. To reference the words of a mentor, “Valuing diversity tours such as PEP can serve as an excellent retention tool.” Options such as “diversity tours” might be the reason someone decides to continue their service in the US Navy and can also serve as one of their most memorable tours. The challenges and memories a diversity or PEP tour brings with it are extraordinary and can leave a lasting impression on its exchange members. However, diversity tours are not just about retention. They are also a fantastic method of bringing diverse experience back to the Fleet in our future Department Heads, Commanding Officers, and Major Commanders. Continuing the quote, “if we only have those in command who followed the same path

it can limit the viewpoints for lasting and better solutions… it [diversity] simply makes the organization better.” A diversity tour can and will improve our ranks with an increase in diverse experience and overall growth or awareness of military tactics, techniques, and procedures. That being said, there are still important milestones and jobs that need to be supplied with top talent from the naval aviation community. It is my goal to continue with future articles regarding PEP in order to highlight key differences, best practices, and lessons learned, not only for the US Navy rotary community but for Naval Aviation as a whole. Please feel free to reach out with any questions, corrections, or additions I can include in the next article: randyperkinsIV@ gmail.com

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Features Rat-Catching 101: The 50th Anniversary of HM-12 and the Birth of Airborne Mine Countermeasures By CDR Michael Lanzillo, USN

aval mines have existed for centuries. You read that correctly…centuries. From 16th century China’s naval explosives used to combat Japanese pirates of the time, to the British Navy’s usage in the 17th century, to the United States’ first naval mine--Bushnell’s Keg, used in the War for American Independence-- to mines of all shapes, sizes, and variations currently utilized today by nations around the globe. Mines are out there – and they are relatively cheap, easily proliferated, even easier to deploy, and are incredibly effective at achieving their purpose. This is not a secret, nor is it a novel statement. But while countering these weapons was, is, and always will be fraught with controversy and contention amongst naval leadership, what cannot be argued is the proud history of the Airborne Mine Countermeasures (AMCM) community, and especially HM-12, on its 50th Anniversary.

A Sikorsky RH-3A Sea King minesweeping helicopter (BuNo 147140) of the U.S Navy Naval Air Mine Defense Development Unit (NAMDDU) at Panama City, Florida (USA) in 1967

Naval officers of the past have opined that the work of countering naval mines was “unpleasant work for a naval man, an occupation like that of rat-catching.” 1 That is one opinion to be sure, but the AMCM community and fiftyyear-old HM-12 specifically, has forged a combat legacy of “rat-catching” across the globe since its inception. The idea of AMCM was conceived in the Korean War, with HC-6 Detachment 84, flying the venerable RH-3A helicopter. The world’s first aerial minesweeping unit was founded to sweep the Korean Wonsan Harbor of magnetic influence mines after a Korean minesweeper struck a mine and was summarily destroyed in 1967. These pioneers of AMCM flew a helicopter operating outside of its design limits, as the mission of minesweeping caused a tail rotor buzz and maxed out transmission oil temperatures, where pilots would routinely “take the temp up to the red line, back it off until it drops, and then take it up again.” Deployed off USS Ozark (MCS 2), a recommissioned Minesweeper that was formerly a World War Two troop landing ship, and towing the MK105 Magnetic Influence sled, the pilots and aircrew of HC-6 added a new tactic to the U.S. MCM strategy with AMCM, employing brand-new MCM gear in a machine never designed for the task. The AMCM mission was a direct result of the Navy’s “humiliation” during the anti-climactic amphibious landing at Wonsan during the Korean War. The official report of the landing read: “The Navy able to sink an enemy fleet, to defeat aircraft and submarines, to do precision bombing rocket attack, and gunnery, to support troops ashore and blockade, met a 3,000 Rotor Review #153 Summer '21

mine field laid off Wonsan by the Soviet naval experts…. The strongest Navy in the world had to remain in the Sea of Japan while a few minesweepers struggled to clear Wonsan… adequate mine countermeasure forces with trained personnel and equipment should be provided in each fleet and should be ready for service.” While HC-6 was primarily tasked with clean-up of the mines left in Wonsan following the Korean War, it served as a proof of concept for AMCM, which Admiral Elmo Zumwalt, who in 1970 assumed the role of CNO, pushed as a Navy priority for the first time. Only one year later, in 1971, ADM Zumwalt accepted the transfer of thirteen CH-53 helicopters from the Marine Corps and established the first operational AMCM squadron, HM-12, based in Norfolk, Virginia. HM-12 would not idle as a newly commissioned squadron for long, as it was secretly deployed to the Philippines in 1972 for training, and subsequently to the waters off North Vietnam in 1973 as part of Operation End Sweep. As part of the Nixon administration’s efforts to negotiate a settlement to the Vietnam War, and the release of all American prisoners of war, the U.S. began mining North Vietnam’s most vital ports, beginning with Haiphong. “The first drop in Haiphong harbor consisted of 36 magnetic-acoustic mines, which immediately stopped virtually all traffic.” After the 1973 cease-fire occurred in Paris, and American POWs were set to be released in exchange for clearance of the mined ports, HM-12, as part of Task Force 78, began to sweep Haiphong harbor using MK-105 magnetic influence hydrofoil sleds and Magnetic Orange Pipes, a buoyant, styrofoam-filled magnetic

pipe. Unbeknownst to the North Vietnamese, HM-12 pilots already knew the locations of all of the dropped mines, and the mine sterilization/self-destruct dates were already past, meaning that that the entire Operation was a ruse of sorts, yielding only a single mine detonated. HM-12 parlayed their success in Vietnam into rapid transition from the Far East to the Middle East, as it began Operation Nimbus Star in 1974. Tasked with clearing the Suez Canal of mines laid during the Yom Kippur War between Egypt and Israel, HM-12 embarked USS Tripoli (LPH 2) with only five days notice and set upon clearing one of the globe’s busiest commercial waterways. In just over one month, the mighty 53s from HM-12 swept over 7,616 linear miles, encompassing 120 square miles. These two operations set the stage for not only HM-12, but the AMCM mission as a whole to become a staple in U.S. operational strategy for decades. HM squadrons have played significant roles in every armed conflict since, including the Tanker Wars and Operation Earnest Will, Operation Eagle Claw and the attempted rescue of American hostages in Iran, and both Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield, providing MCM support in the Persian Gulf. As Admiral McCauley, in charge of Operation End Sweep, was quoted, “mine sweeping of any sort is difficult, tedious, lengthy, and totally devoid of glamor.” While most HM pilots and aircrewmen would agree that this is an inconvenient and unappealing truth, they wouldn’t have it any other way. HM-12, and now its sister squadrons The Vanguard of HM-14 and the Blackhawks of HM15, continue to “rat catch” every day to ensure they are ready to answer the call, as they have since 1971.

Two U.S. Navy Sikorsky RH-53D Sea Stallion helicopters of helicopter mine countermeasures squadron HM-12 Sea Dragons sweeping the Suez Canal or one of the lakes during "Operation Nimbus Moon" in 1974.

Notes

1. Lott, Arnold S. “Most Dangerous Sea.” Naval War College Review: Vol 13, No.4, Article 9. 2. https://m.youtube.com/ watch?v=Lcm7R4kSzkl. 3. Melia, Tamara M. “Damn the Torpedoes. A Short History of U.S. Naval Mine Countermeasures.” Naval Historical Center, Washington, DC, 1991, 79. 4. Melia, Tamara M. “Damn the Torpedoes. A Short History of U.S. Naval Mine Countermeasures.” Naval Historical Center, Washington, DC, 1991, 79.

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Features

HM-12 the Origin of the U.S. Navy's H-53 Operations By CAPT Russell E. Berry Jr., USN (Ret.) Editor's Note: CAPT Berry passed away on March 26, 2021. He was a longtime member of NHA and had frequently contributed to Rotor Review. In his honor and memory we reprint an article that was a particular favorite of his. It was published in the Summer 1986 Rotor Review #26.

t is interesting to look back at the evolutionary growth of the helicopter in fleet operations and the continuing introduction of newer and more capable aircraft crewed by an even younger looking crop of aviators and aircrew When I learned that the Summer Edition of Rotor Review was to be focused on the H-53 community I decided it was time to sit down and relate the origins of the H-53 operations in the U.S. Navy from my perspective as one of those who was actually there at the start. My involvement with the H-53 began during the final throes of my course at the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School as a member of Class 49. A former HS-11 SH-3A pilot. I was assigned to fly the CH-53A for my Naval Preliminary Evaluation (NPE) exercise. My first flight in April 1968 thus began six years of intimate contact with the H-53 and the Airborne Mine Countermeasures (AMCM) mission. Early AMCM Efforts After graduation from TPS I was assigned as: the lead H.53 engineering test pilot, in the service ·Test Division of The Naval Air Test Center (NATC). In August 1968, I found myself headed to the Sikorsky· facility in Stratford Connecticut to conduct a real NPE of the CH-53A Emergency Mine Countermeasures Mission systems. The object of the Emergency AMCM mission system was to put deployable AMCM equipment "kits" aboard the amphibs from which the Marine H-53s routinely operated. In time of need Marine crews would equip their H-53's with the AMCM kits and be ready to sweep. Seems simple enough on the surface but it didn’t exactly turn out that way. The training requirements for the “black gang" in the after station for a MK-I03 wire sweep mission proved to be a little more than could be handled on an "emergency'' or tertiary mission basis. After several weeks or training with Sikorsky test pilots and crews we were deemed fully capable of rousing the ire of every lobsterman in Long Island Sound (MK-1O4 wire sweeps can reap some good eating at times), The NPE was completed atter the second try and Sikorsky went back to the drawing boards to incorporate some fixes. Those early minesweeping evolutions were a fairly coordinated effort between Sikorsky. NAVAIR, NATC. Rotor Review #153 Summer '21

and the folks from Panama City. Florida. This latter group continuously suffered from the ·”alphabet soup disease”, having been known through the years as NADDU (Naval Air Mine Defense Development Unit). NSRDL (Naval Ships Research and Development Laboratory). and NCSL (Naval Coastal Systems Laboratory), The OPEVAL for the H 53 Emergency AMCM system was held at Panama City in March 1970, and included Marine Aircrews from HMX-t as well as our “experienced" crews from NATC. HM is Conceived The HM and HSL communities were actually birthed as a result of the same CNO initiative. At CNO direction a series of conferences and meetings were held al CINLANTFLT and CINPACFLT in t970 with a focus towards capturing the exploding versatility of the helicopter to enhance the operational capability of the surface combatant forces. Three different programs were initiated as a direct result of these conferences. HS- I5 was established to participate in the Sea Control Ship Project The original H-2/DV-98 project at the Naval Air Development Center (NADC) became the genesis of the SH-2D/F/G LAMPS MK 1 program and eventually the SH-60B LAMPS MK Ill program. At the same time. AMCM. which had been drifting along in the backwaters of the fleet with small RH-3A detachments in both HC-6 and HC- 7, received a dose of intensity· 'The pending transfer of the surface ship MSOs to the Naval Reserve Force presented the challenge necessary to force a decision to bring the enhanced AMCM capabilities of the H-53 into the U.S. Navy operating inventory. The fact that the capability was there to be tapped at all rested almost solely with Mr. Bill Emshwiller, of Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), the true father of AMCM. I was a participant at an AMCM coordinating session at CINLANTFLT in July t970. I raised perhaps an inordinate amount of controversy at that session,. essentially telling the brass that they didn’t know what they were doing. It appears that they decided that if I was damn sure of what I was doing, might as well get thrown in the middle. HC-6 Det 53 As a result, I soon found my orders to HA(L)-3 cancelled and a new set in my hands to HC-6 NAS Norfolk as part of “Det 53”. HC-6 Det 53 was comprised of officers and 64

enlisted personnel from the former RH -5J A detachments of HC-6 and HC- 7, Panama City flight department al umni, myself and a couple of ·'experienced" AMCM crewmen from NATC We received our thirteen H-53As from the Marine boneyards in New River and Santa starting in October, 1970.. These aircraft ,were a sight to behold. Our Marine Corps brethren had gone to no expense to provide us with the finest frontline aircraft from their inventory. Acceptance inspection gripes routinely numbered three or four hundred or more. We were continually hounding AIRLANT during these early days of H C -6 Det 53 not only over the state of the aircraft we were receiving. but with the myriad other details involved in standing up a new squadron. The AIRLANT "Helo Class Desk." LCDR (now RADM) Ron Jesberg somehow managed to keep a lid on the pot. Our initial flight operations were interesting. I was the lone pilot with H53 experience, having accumulated over 350 flight hours al NATC. I had even managed to sneak in ten hours prior to departure which made me "current' in the eyes of NATC. AIRLANT had different ideas. The Fleet did not accept my NATC currency and had arranged for a Sikorsky test pilot to transition us neophytes. Cliff Brown, now retired from Sikorsky. was nominated with the honor . Cliff and I had flown together numerous times at Sikorsky and as we briefed for the first U.S. Navy flight, he said. " I hope you're current because I haven't flown the -53 in six months." Being a proponent of the " it is better to seek forgiveness than it is to request permission" philosophy. Cliff and I manned the aircraft and took off. we checked each other out on that first flight on 23 October 1970 and U.S. Navy H-53 operations had begun in earnest.

of evolutions, some successful, some not. But gradually we jelled into an operating entity. On 30 December 1970, in the first actual tow operations, we took a couple of laps around Hampton Roads with the MK-I05 in trail. The significance of this even was not that the H·53 could tow the MK-I05, but rather that we had been able to marshal the assets to stream and deploy the MK-105 in the winter at Norfolk. Training Tribulations What followed were a series of training detachments on LPD' s and LPB' s off Charleston and Camp Lejeune. One of the initial air-to-air transfers of a MK-I 03 wire sweep was a particularly auspicious event. LTJG "Easy" Ed Schneider (now a NASA test pilot at Edwards) and I were to pick up the t0w from another aircraft. At the time we were required to cross the wire at 10-15 feet off the water because of the 75' length of the standard cargo winch cables we were using. Anyone who has seen an H-53 hovering at that altitude over water with appreciate that, we were raising quite a storm.

HM-12 MH-53 helicopter landing on USS Vancouver (LPD 2) while moored to the Alava Pier at Naval Base Subic Bay, circa summer 1973 Photo by CDR Michale Cosgrove, USS Conquest

In addition to the normal squadron start-up tasks of training pilots,. aircrew and maintenance personnel, we were also tasked with helping to establish the Fleet operating doctrine and SOP for AMCM operations. Commander Mine Warfare Force in Charleston established a new unit under Commander, Mobile Mine Countermeasures Command (COMOMCOM) which was to act as the operational commander during AMCM operations with the Fleet. MOMCOM (don’t you love it!).the squadron and Panama City reps were rather continuously involved in trying to figure out how to integrate the H -53, the mountain of AMCM gear and the precise navigation requirements of statistical mine countermeasures operations into the fleet operating environment. The dockside watchers at Norfolk and Charleston were treated to a variety

The crew was having difficulty retrieving the transfer hook, while in the low hover position a squall Iine came through the area shifting the wind direction. We. suddenly found ourselves downwind of the aircraft from which we were taking the further aggravating the situation. To this point I have neglected to say that our original Cl-l-53As were not equipped with EAPS (Engine Air Particle Separators for the non·H-53 drivers) which have proven quite effective in keeping salt water out of the engines. Get the picture? As the rotor rpm started to come down I yelled for full power and Ed and I exchanged some quizzical looks. He looked to be attempting to push the speed selectors through the windshield . We had the after station gang, now up to their shins in salt water. man the bolt cutters while Ed and I watched the waves lapping against the windows. As soon as we were free from our sea anchor I started bouncing the aircraft across the wave tops. rotor rpm 65

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Features less than 90 percent until we were airborne. A short, but oh so long, flight to Charleston Air Force Base followed, after which we washed out the engines, and our shorts, not necessarily in that order. The end result of the flight was a restriction on air-to-air transfers until our H-53's were equipped with EAPS and longer cargo winch cables. These modifications coincided with a re-engining with the T64-G-E 4I engines to improve downwind tow performance and thus were born the CH53A "plus" aircraft These aircraft would serve HM-t2 well, carrying us through Operation End Sweep in North Vietnam. HM-12 Commissioned HM-12 was commissioned on 1 April 1971 with CDR Dave Humphries as our first skipper. Dave is now retired and living in Panama City, Florida. HM- I2 alumni will undoubtedly notice the similarity of our first skipper's initials and the modex (" DH") on the tail of the squadron aircraft. While in the process of "checking off the blocks" in the precommissioning checklist I just happened to call OPNAV to request the squadron modex. In fact, I asked whether “DH” was already taken and if we could have it. A little like requesting vanity plates for your car. The result is obvious. Dave Humphries spent his tour telling people that the modex really referred to CAPT Dave Hughes, the OPNAV sponsor. Dave Hughes' response predictably was just the reverse. Our general approach to towing in the early days was that if someone could put a tow cable on it we would try. I remember towing an unmanned 40' MSL (Mine Sweeper, Launch) Charleston with skipper CDR Dave Humphries. We ended up towing the MSL slightly faster than the mag tail could stand and it separated from the transom. This resulted in a severe lack of stability in the tow and something that acted more like a surf board than a 40' boat. The. MSL was considered a ·'strike" after this episode. LTJG Fran, Porter and I towed the M-MK-t8. which was an iron railroad track with some floats welded to it. This was supposed to provide us with a shallow water magnetic sweep capability. We left it stuck in the mud in the middle Wando River as a hazard to navigation. The SPU-1W Magnetic Orange Pipe (MOP) used in both Haiphong Harbor and the Suez Canal was the end result of this episode. I left HM-12 in June 1972 soon after another auspicious event. That was flying the first HAC check for an HM-12 nugget" during a training detachment to Charleston. LTJG Franz Porter was the first nugget to achieve aircraft commander status in HM-12. Those who know Franz will appreciate that this was a memorable event, even if they were not there to witness it. I reported to the Staff of Commander Mine Warfare Force in July 1972 Force as the Air Operations Officer. Maintaining a continuing close relationship with AMCM. Most of my Rotor Review #153 Summer '21

CH-53D tows an MK 105 during Operation End Sweep

peers thought I had lost my mind. I was quickly immersed in things "surface warfare" • drafting the ORI requirements for an AMCM unit, establishing "I" level support capability for the MK-105s at Charleston. and becoming the Fleet sponsor for R&D activities then underway. Some items such as 1he "Super• conducting Coil" fell by the wayside; others like 1he AQS-14 Side Scan Sonar .system eventually found their way into the AMCM inventory. My direct involvement v in this headquarters activity was soon to be ended by Operation End Sweep, 1hc clearance of Haiphong Harbor and adjacent waters in North Vietnam. Operation End Sweep I ended up as the advance party at Cubi Point, setting up for the arrival or HM -t2 and the COMOMCOM assets via -C 5 and C-141 from Norfolk and Charleston. After a month of trying to convince the chain of command to allow us to put the aircraft back together again at Cubi, we won our point and Subic Bay was a hotbed of activity. Not only was HM-t2 getting it’s tow legs back. but we were faced with equipping Marine Corps CH-53D's from HMH-463 with the basic AMCM tow kit and teaching the Marine crews how to tow with the MOP. After a couple of months of preparation. Task Force Seventy Eight sailed for the Gulf of Tonkin and Haiphong Harbor to start Operation End Sweep. I do not intend to go in to detail here, but the H •53 squadrons flew tow missions from dawn to dusk seven days a week. We kept the Marine HMH squadrons (153 and later 165) busy with logistics runs within the task force, transferring our negotiators back and forth to Haiphong and resupplying the Raydist navigation sites ashore. We even brought a North Vietnamese military contingent out to the flagship for an orientation visit.. The light switch in 66

FlagOps labeled by some wag to read” This deactivates mines. Don’t turn off!” went unnoticed. On 9 March t973, a crew from HM-12 swept the first live mine with an AMCM sweep in the Haiphong main shipping channel. The aircraft and crew commanded by LT Skip Yates was conducting an MK-105 sweep from the USS Dubuque at the time. Ron Kuhrt, the co-pilot on this historic flight joined Sikorsky Aircraft after leaving the Navy and was unfortunately lost in a crash of a company S-76 outside of Boston, Massachusetts in 1986. The key pint to remember about Operation End Sweep and a tribute to all involved , was that we were successfully conducting intensive AMCM operations in the actual operational environment, with real mines, less than three years after we stepped from the starting gate. A great deal of credit goes to the late CAPT Feliz “Hap” Vechionne, COMOMCOM. Hap was that rare individual who could appreciate the diverse factors at work in the sometimes difficult meld of aviators, Marines, surface mine warfare types and gators, all while maintaining a cool head and an absolute vision of the way ahead. It is especially fitting that a building at the Mine Warfare Training Center at Charleston is named after this sterling individual who contributed so magnificently to our community.

Sikorsky products. All are deserving of recognition including Paul Gauthier, "Frenchy" Letourneau, the late Ed Geiss. Ralph Sedore, Dave Kelly. Jerry Carter, Henry Bice, Larry Canady, Harold Creek, Bill Delfosse, Chuck Duncan, Don Gilmore, Ed Hoppe, Jim Kleinhuizen, Sam Snead, Mark Starling, Larry Symons, Bob Tate, Jim Walton, and Rodney Whitmore. I trust this article conveys the message that the early days of Navy H-53 operations were both challenging and fun. We worked hard plowing new ground there were a lot of frustrations and some false starts, but through it all we kept our sense of humor and direction. I felt that my impressions of those days needed to be recorded for posterity and I've had fun just writing things down. I hope that all those mentioned or not mentioned herein take it in the right frame of mind.

Suez Canal Ops Less than a year after fishing the sweep operations in North Vietnam the whole AMCM group found itself headed to Egypt for Operation Nimbus Star Moon, the clearance of the Suez Canal. In the interim period HM-12 completed the transition into the RH 53D's and the Cl-l-53A "plus· aircraft were returned to the Marine Corps inventory. These initial operations in the easter Mediterranean off Port Said and in the Suez Canal were an omen of things to come. The AMCM force has continued to be involved in the Middle East up to and including recent operations in the Persian Gulf. But those episodes are best left to another time and another author. I departed the AMCM world in t974 for the Naval War College and eventually for the HSL community. Other early HM-I2ers whose names should ring a bell with the current crop of aviators include Captains Van Goodloe, Kevin Delaney, Fred Massey, Paul Erny and Chet Harrison. I retired from the Navy in t983 after a tour as the NAVAIR "Class Desk" for the SH- 60B / l.AMPS MK Ill during the transition between engineering development and production. After retirement I joined Sikorsky Aircraft in the international programs and marketing arena.

A U.S. Navy Sikorsky RH-53D of helicopter mine countermeasures squadron HM-12 Sea Dragons picking up an Mk 105 minesweeping gear during "Operation Nimbus Moon" off the the Suez Canal in 1974

The Sikorsky product support department contains perhaps the largest group of former HM-I2ers outside the Navy. They came out of the enlisted ranks, initially serving as either tech reps or training school instructors. The list is long and many names should be familiar to current Fleet operators of 67

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Features Wild Fire Rescue “Middle Fire” By LCDR Derek Schramel, USCG

t had started as a normal quiet duty night at Coast Guard Sector/Air Station Humboldt Bay, located in McKinleyville, CA. We had just landed from our night duty trainer when we were piped to the Command Center. We were notified that the Forest Service (USFS) had requested assistance with extraction of two wildland firefighters from a steep forested area within an active wildfire zone in the Trinity Alps wilderness area in northern California. Two firefighters had sustained serious injuries after being struck by a falling boulder and were being stabilized by the members of their fire crew. The first injured firefighter had head, neck and shoulder injuries while the second firefighter had a displaced femur fracture with leg deformation and was drifting in and out of consciousness with signs of shock. The Incident Commander (IC) had determined a hike out of the steep terrain was not possible without further injury or death of the injured firefighters, bedding down for the night was extremely high risk for the fire team due to the changing fire conditions and possible burn-over, and medical consensus agreed there was high likelihood the sustained injuries would cause death before sunrise. The only other nearby agency with a hoist capable helicopter had declined the high risk night time mission. Having just returned from a two hour training sortie, we assembled in the Command Center to begin planning the mission. The steep terrain made it difficult to know the elevation of the injured firefighters but we predicted the rescue would take place at approximately 4,500 feet of elevation. We queried the IC if there was a potential LZ since we knew power margins for an OGE hover would be an issue for our MH65D helicopter at that altitude, but the steep mountainous terrain was heavily wooded with 200’ trees that prevented any possibility of a landing. The IC stated the firefighters had used chain saws to clear enough trees in order to attempt a high altitude hoist. At this point we discussed ORM and assessed the mission as high risk/high gain. This would be our CP and FM’s first SAR case in the USCG. Prior to launching, the RS and FM ensured additional trail lines, weight bags, and the RS’s inland SAR gear were loaded; decisions that proved to be vital during the mission.

LCDR Derek Schramel,, USCG, Aircraft Commander/ PIC, LTJG Adam Ownbey – Co-Pilot (CP), AST2 Graham McGinnis – Rescue Swimmer (RS, AMT3 Tyler Cook – Flight Mechanic (FM), Coast Guard Rescue Helicopter 656.

to analyze the hoisting area and environmental factors to get an idea of the power requirements for hovering. During this process I reverted to the training I received earlier in my career at the Colorado Army National Guard High-Altitude Aviation Training Site (HAATS), but trying to predict the best approach path and wind zone model was significantly complicated due to the ineffectiveness of the NVGs, steep ridges, and severe up/down drafts fueled by the fire. We made what seemed like 10 attempts to approach the clearing resulting in wave-offs due to insufficient power. After multiple attempts to hover, we were eventually able to have a sufficient power margin to establish a tree top hover over a 20x30 ft hoisting area cut into

Launching at 2300L we navigating through mountainous terrain on NVGs with zero percent illumination, we then found ourselves entering a canyon obscured with smoke, no visual horizon, steep terrain, and portions of the canyon rendering the NVGs unusable due to the intensity of the wildfire flames. As we proceeded up the narrow canyon towards the steep ridgeline engulfed in flames I experienced multiple bouts of vertigo due to the onslaught of visual illusions. I relied upon my CP to call out angles of bank off by up to 15 degrees, 500’ altitude deviations due to steep terrain and fire updrafts, with airspeed fluctuations from 40-90 knots. Once we located the fire team dug into their self-made clearing on the edge of the wildfire we began the process of doing high/low recon passes Rotor Review #153 Summer '21

a 45 degree slope by the fire crew. Upslope of the hoisting area, the fire extended down from the ridgeline to within 30 yards of the firefighters’ position. At this point, we only had 15 minutes of on scene time and minimal power margin, the RS suggested he could remain on scene if we needed to depart to permit rescue of both injured firefighters instead of just one once we returned from refueling. However, I had serious concerns for his safety as well as my ability to get back over the hoisting area. I determined the risk too high without the proper wildfire protective gear/training and possible burn-over if the RS stayed on-scene. As the RS was hoisted down, the FM recognized the “candy-stripe” on the hoist cable indicating he had used all 240’ of hoist cable but the RS was still 50’ from the slope. With quick and calm thinking, he conned us further down below tree-top level into the confined area to smoothly deliver the RS to the near vertical surface. The RS disconnected and began to assess the patients while the FM readied the rescue litter in the cabin. Due to the additional time it took to hoist at 250’ and careful fuel calculations, our CP stated he didn’t think there would be enough time to hoist even one survivor and still recover the RS. I told the FM to abort the hoist, bring the litter back up, and deploy the bare hook in order to retrieve the RS to ensure sufficient fuel to recover and reassess the mission in Redding, CA. Reassessing the risk versus gain in Redding, the RS reaffirmed the critical nature of the injuries of both firefighters and the unrealistic option for the fire crew to hike them out of the steep terrain to safety. The fire had continued to encroach around the hoist area. Although assessing the mission as high risk, we determined the mission still had a reasonable chance of success and would undoubtedly save the lives of both firefighters. To maximize our on-scene time, the RS suggested removing all unneeded items from the helicopter to reduce weight, increase fuel capacity and create room in the cabin to possibly hoist both firefighters with the litter. Additionally, we discussed and agreed to try the untrained & unofficial Litter Augmented Double Pickup (LADPU) procedure where the RS hooks up with the litter and we deploy both at the same time to expedite the hoists. The CP reassessed the aircraft configuration after removing personal gear, life raft, maintenance kit, rescue basket, and searchlight, which reduced our weight by approx. 200lbs, resulting in an additional 20 minutes of on-scene time. We also decided to “bingo” to a small, nearby airfield without fuel services to maximize on-scene time knowing this would cause the sortie to be our last chance to extract the firefighters. Now launching on our 3rd sortie of our duty day at 0256L and fighting fatigue, the FM and RS assembled the litter enroute, linked multiple trail lines together, and prepared the cabin for hoisting to ensure no time was wasted once established in a hover. Arriving back on-scene, we quickly noticed the fire had advanced downslope around the hoisting area, flanking the clearing on three sides. While we had been

refueling we had our command center inform the fire crew there was a good chance we’d only be able to rescue one of the fire fighters, the fire crew had started hiking one of the injured out of the area but had only made it 40 feet in the steep terrain during the hour we had refueled the aircraft. This information reaffirmed the dire need to extract both members via helicopter. The fire had engulfed the area below my original approach path but I chose to still utilize it since it had worked on the first sortie (not the best reasoning, I know). Unfortunately, the fire below caused severe updrafts that buffeted the helicopter and resulted in a sudden increase in descent rate once past the fire line that couldn’t be arrested and forced me to fly the aircraft down the slope into the canyon to avoid impacting the trees. Smoke obscuration was heavier now with continued total darkness without NVGs and limited effectiveness of NVGs due to the brightness of the flames. I decided to use an alternative approach path that avoided the updrafts but created a much more challenging and risky approach straight into the rising terrain at tree trop level without a viable escape route. I was able to slowly approach the clearing and enter another high hover over the hoist area. Established in a hover with the fire line now at the edge of the clearing, we quickly experienced first-hand the characteristics of the rotor-wash as it circulated smoke inside the cockpit and down around the aircraft reducing visibility and causing our eyes to burn, all while the fire actively burned directly underneath the tail of the aircraft. The FM calmly conned us over the fire crew and delivered the linked trail lines and additional weight bags. With our CP giving progressive trail line handling instructions over the radio to the fire crew we deployed the RS and litter via LADPU to the steep slope, again using nearly all of the hoist cable. Thinking quickly, the RS unhooked but retained and passed the rescue hook to a firefighter to avoid delays of hoisting the hook back up and then down once the first survivor was ready. Working on the steep terrain, the RS hauled the litter over fallen trees up the slope and wedged his legs underneath the litter to support it

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Features while loading the first fire fighter. Working incredibly quickly, the RS had the first firefighter loaded within minutes and had to call “ready for pickup” over his radio since the FM had difficulty seeing his hand signals through the circulating smoke. The FM then used what visuals he had as well as the angle of the hoist cable to get us plum and bring both the RS and survivor up via LADPU. Once inside the aircraft the FM and RS began the arduous task of extracting the 280lb man from the litter and loading him into the baggage compartment area/tail cone to allow room for the 2nd survivor. During this process, my CP and I could hear the loud screams of pain from the survivor and the labored yelling from the FM and RS as they transferred the survivor from the litter to the baggage compartment of the aircraft. The RS injured his back during this process but willingly re-rigged the litter for another LADPU. The second deployment was as smooth as the first despite the increasing smoke and reduced visibility of the hoisting area. By this time

"By this time the prolonged hover and rotor wash had drastically intensified the fire as flames began to climb the surrounding trees " the prolonged hover and rotor wash had drastically intensified the fire as flames began to climb the surrounding trees and the RS could feel the heat of the fire as the embers blew into him. Despite this danger, the RS again unhooked from the hoist and wedged his legs underneath the litter to stabilize it to allow the second survivor to be safely packaged. The FM was now having even more trouble clearly seeing the hoist area or RS due to the increased smoke but kept the helicopter directly overhead by focusing on the hoist cable and trees. The CP could faintly hear the RS call for pick-up on the radio and the FM conned the aircraft into the best vertical position he could detect and began to hoist the RS and firefighter through the darkness and smoke. The RS emerged from the smoke and the 2nd survivor was safely recovered in the cabin. At this point I was pulling 100% MGB torque to prevent settling into the trees while the CP provided essential backup of our power, position, and altitude. Once ready for forward flight, we flew out of the hoist area and I passed controls to my CP after total exhaustion from the totality of the night’s events. Our CP then flew us through the unfamiliar canyons in total darkness to the nearby helibase in order to transfer the firefighters to two awaiting EMS helicopters at 0357L. Once shutdown, we debriefed and agreed that it was certainly the most challenging rescue any of us had ever prosecuted. There had been countless critical decision points in the mission that could have led to failure, injury, or a major aircraft mishap. Looking back on the case we had to do several non-standard evolutions in conditions far removed from our

Rotor Review #153 Summer '21

normal operating environment; but, as a result of our robust training program we conduct on a daily basis we were able to adapt and still work together seamlessly in order to safely complete the mission. I can’t overstate how impressed I was by the performance of my crew. It was my Co-Pilot’s first SAR case since qualifying in the MH-65D and he was forced to execute virtually all of the mission management duties normally conducted by the AC since it took all of my focus to just fly the aircraft. It was also our Flight Mech’s first case and he had to give constant non-standard conning commands, complete two un-trained for LADPU deployment/recoveries all from over 200’ with little visual references due to the fire and smoke. Lastly, we owe a huge amount of the success of the mission to our Rescue Swimmer. His out of the box thinking, superior leadership coaching the fire crew to quickly load the survivors into the litter, and his overall bravery to deploy three times into the middle of a wildfire with no firefighting training or protective gear was truly heroic.

“Middle Fire” Rescue An Ops Officer’s Perspective

s you just read, Derek & his crew prosecuted a pretty amazing inland rescue case, saving two firefighters from near certain death, pushing themselves and their aircraft to their absolute limits. But, what would a good article be without some lessons learned (from an OPS officer’s perspective, in this case) and a little more about the rest of the story? Sector Humboldt Bay, as a combined Air Station and Sector, has direct launch authority for both maritime SAR and inland Agency Assist cases. The Operations Officer, or Response Chief, is also generally the SAR Mission Coordinator for cases and supervises the Sector’s Command Center in addition to managing the unit’s aviation operations. Humboldt Bay’s AOR is a fairly rugged landscape with sparse fuel stops and very few other air rescue resources. For those reasons, Humboldt puts a strong emphasis on vertical surface, mountain flying, surf rescue and interagency training programs. Lessons Learned 1. Go to the Source: The initial information on this case was pretty sketchy and we didn’t really have enough to do a good assessment of the expected gain. After my initial discussion with the crew and the acting Sector Commander, it looked like we were going to decline the case. I ended up calling three different EOCs and there was some initial confusion on my part because our partners were treating the injury as an “Incident Within an Incident” (IWI), and there were separate Incident Commanders (ICs) for the firefighting and rescue events. But, once we were able to get some better medical information from the correct IC, we realized that this case was clearly high-gain and we started discussing how to make the mission work. Take away – be persistent in seeking the info you need and get it from as close to the scene as you can.

2. Know Your Crews: This one seems obvious, but I mention it because I would not have recommended accepting this case if I didn’t know and trust the crew, particularly the PIC, the way I did. I felt confident that I could trust Derek to go out, assess the situation and make a good call on scene on whether the rescue was even possible. That’s a lot to ask of a PIC, especially when they know that if they decline the case it’s very likely that two men will die. So, why did I trust Derek’s skill and judgment? Because I had personally seen how he trained hard & exercised restraint in alignment with the Command’s intent during past cases. Take away – maybe this lesson is as much for duty-standers as it is for OPS officers; if you want to be trusted by your command to go out on the most challenging cases, you’ve got to earn their confidence by training hard, being a professional, and demonstrating that you understand your CO’s operational intent and risk tolerance. 3. Don’t Overthink It: This rescue happened in a wilderness area about midway between our homefield in McKinleyville and an inland airport in Redding, CA – the only two airports with fuel available near this scene. The flight time to Redding was a little shorter, but still about 20-25 minutes from the hoisting area. As I mentioned, Sector Humboldt trains frequently with fire service partners and has an MOU to call out CALFIRE’s heli-tender engines for fuel at unimproved sites if needed. I knew that the crew’s time in a hover was going to be limited by the relatively long transit to the nearest fuel stop, so I called the EOC and asked if we could get CALFIRE’s helitender. After several calls, the dispatchers informed me that they weren’t on status for that fire, so we were committed to the 20-25 minute flight to Redding for fuel. What I didn’t know, and what the dispatcher didn’t mention, was that the National Forest Service had established a temporary heli-base with a few thousand gallons of jet-fuel about 4 minutes from the hoist site. Take away: don’t request a specific resource unless you are absolutely sure that’s the only thing that will meet your needs, it would have been better for me to take an extra minute to describe what I needed (jet fuel, as close to the scene as safely possible) and why I needed it, and then let the dispatcher or incident commander provide us options. 4. Back-Up Your Crew: Another obvious one, but a lesson that was reinforced by a couple things I saw on this case. First, during the crew’s initial risk assessment of the mission, Derek briefed that they expected this to be a medium risk mission. I remember saying something like, “Okay, as long as you guys are having a good discussion we can call it whatever you want, but just so you know, I’m considering this high risk and I’m going to brief it up that way.” In my mind, that was a small but important distinction to make so that the crew knew that the command wasn’t going to balk at calling this mission what it was – very risky, and that if things didn’t go well we were going to stand by the decision to make an attempt. The second time I remember backing up Derek was after the crew landed for fuel after the first shot at a rescue. In that conversation, we talked about how they were feeling, what it

really looked like on scene, whether he could get two litter hoists done with the endurance they had, the probability of a MGB overtorque, and the condition of the firefighters. We discussed using a non-standard LADPU, again making sure he knew that the command would support his crew’s decision to deviate in order to save a life. And I think I finished up the call with something like, “Go talk to the crew one more time, make sure you all are still willing to accept the mission and, if you are, the command approves another attempt.” Again, I wanted to make sure that it was clear to Derek that they weren’t under an obligation to make another attempt, but the command would support them if they were willing to go. Take away: being a PIC is never easy, it’s even harder at 2:00 AM when you and your crew are physically fatigued, emotionally drained and operating at the limits of your skill & the aircraft’s performance – if you’re taking OPS calls, back up that PIC on their plan and on their risk decisions, do everything you can to take tasks off their plate & make sure they know you’ve got them covered if things go south or change on scene. A Little More on the Rest of the Story In the days following this mission we learned about a similar incident in 2008 where a firefighter on the Dutch Creek incident, a few miles from the 2019 Middle Fire, was struck by a falling tree and fractured his femur. A Sector Humboldt Bay H-65 eventually hoisted the injured firefighter, but due to delays in developing and executing an evacuation plan by the firefighters on scene, that firefighter died before he was able to get to medical care. The tragic outcome of that case only reinforced my belief that if Derek’s crew hadn’t successfully hoisted the two firefighters when they did, they wouldn’t have made it through the night.

Search and rescue team asks people to prepare for anything when headed outdoors, Korey Morgan, Office of Communication, USDA Forest Service

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Features The HSC Community – Always Ready By LT Cassie “Squids” Gettinger, USN

ou never know when you’ll get the call. So there we were… Veterans Day 2020. We woke up to brief our day alert crew like every other day. We were on detachment from HSC-22 aboard the USS Sioux City (LCS 11) with Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) embarked to counter illicit trafficking (CIT) in the Caribbean. We fly the MH-60S in conjunction with the MQ-8B Fire Scout Unmanned Aerial System to accomplish that mission. In fact, the day prior, my crew had launched for an Airborne Use of Force (AUF) interdiction and spent over six hours supporting the mission. Our brief that morning was to stand an LT Cassie Gettinger, LT Uriah Eilinger, AWS1 Kenneth Morris and AUF alert ready to support more AWS2 Michael Fischer. tasking, but there wasn’t any As I was in the MCC gathering the information from the intelligence that we would have to launch that day. I went back to get some coffee and check my email when suddenly I TAO, our maintenance crew was already diligently working got a call from our Officer in Charge, LCDR Ryan Camasso. to bring the MH-60S onto the flight deck. With the patient’s While I was expecting a possible launch for AUF, the last thing medical status sounding critical, we decided to take Coast I expected him to say was, “Spin up your crew…We have a Guard EMT Maritime Enforcement Specialist Second Class possible MEDEVAC developing”. I asked my copilot, LT (ME2) Erin Kinne—who would be able to provide the best Uriah Eilinger, to gather our crew, AWS1 Kenneth Morris and patient care—from the embarked LEDET with us. AWS2 Michael Fischer. We launched on a sunny day with a few dark clouds on I headed into the LCS Mission Command Center (MCC), the horizon, but with determination in our hearts. We where the Tactical Action Officer was chatting with Coast arrived at the Coral Encanto, and discovered it was a large Guard District 7. The Coast Guard reported that there was a tanker with no landing pad and lots of cranes and wires on 45-year-old male aboard a Dutch-flagged tanker—the Coral the aft end of the ship. We orbited the ship and contacted Encanto—who was experiencing leg pain days prior that their bridge on maritime frequencies as we determined the eventually devolved into extreme pain, loss of consciousness, best place to deploy our swimmer. With the ship being towed, and “a gray color with shallow breathing.” They were requesting they couldn’t maneuver. Luckily, the wind direction worked a MEDEVAC because the ship was being towed and wouldn’t perfectly for lining up the right side of the helicopter with the make port in time to get him the medical assistance he needed. starboard side of the ship. We found a gap in the obstructions As the only SAR-capable asset in the area, we were ready to go. where we could hover over the deck and deploy our swimmer. AWS1 Morris lowered AWS2 Fischer down to the deck, and We knew the ship was approximately 40 miles away, and the we returned to our orbit as AWS2 Fischer went inside the ship closest hospital was in the city of Santo Domingo, Dominican to find the patient. Republic. The Coast Guard told us to expect scattered rain in He located the patient, and upon reaching the outer the area, and provided us with a latitude / longitude for the helicopter pad near the hospital. The only description of the decks of the ship, AWS2 told us that he would need a SAR terminal area they could provide us with was “a pad with a MEDEVAC litter to hoist the patient up, as the patient was parking lot to the north of it.” The Coast Guard worked with not completely conscious. There was a doctor and some bags the Embassy to set up clearance into the airspace, coordinated to hoist, as well. We decided that AWS1 Morris would send an ambulance at the helicopter pad, and arranged for a refuel down the litter, with the intention of hoisting the patient into at nearby Las Americas International Airport. That was all we the helicopter first. Then we would hoist the bags. Finally, AWS2 Fischer would hoist up with the doctor using the rescue had before we launched; the rest was up to us. strop. The weather and winds were mostly stable, but we could see rain clouds approaching on the horizon. We wanted to Rotor Review #153 Summer '21

be as expeditious as possible to avoid getting caught in the rain, but considering how small our area to hover was, we decided to ease pilot workload by taking one lap around after each hoist evolution. This allowed the aircrewmen to arrange the cabin after each pick up. Our strategy worked out well, and once we had everybody loaded up, we departed and flew straight for Santo Domingo, which was about 80 miles from the ship’s location. As we approached Santo Domingo, we realized that it was much more of an urban environment than we envisioned. Communication was spotty. We talked to Approach Control on the way in, but reception was intermittent. Approach Control switched us to a different frequency, but the language barrier proved too difficult to overcome. We knew we had already gotten clearance; we were overhead Santo Domingo with a patient in dire straits, so we chose to continue.

With the latitude / longitude provided, our navigation systems pointed to where the helicopter pad should be. About five miles away, ME2 Kinne said, “I’ve lost his pulse. I’m starting compressions.” Time was running out. We were close to the landing area, and it was evident we needed to get him to the ambulance immediately. I told the aircrewmen in the back to let ME2 Kinne provide care to the patient; I needed their eyes outside because we needed to find the helicopter pad. NOW. Luckily, the latitude / longitude was spot-on, and we found the helicopter pad in a clearing of buildings (and, yes! there was the parking lot to the north of it!). We orbited to make sure our path was clear, and we were on the ground within minutes. Luckily, as ME2 Kinne prepared for compressions and her hands approached his chest, the patient gasped for air and was conscious again. Thankfully, the ambulance was waiting for us, and we were told later that the patient stabilized and lived.

To our surprise, there were buildings everywhere, and we became increasingly nervous as to how easily we could identify the helicopter pad in the rolling cityscape below. The scattered rain was ever-present, creating pockets of no visibility, with small but thick cylinders of rain throughout. When we initially received the description “parking lot to the north” of the helicopter pad, we’d assumed it would be an open area with a clear substantial parking lot next to it. I prayed the helicopter pad would be out of the rain so we could get him to the ground as soon as possible!

Though we were on a counter-drug deployment, we brief search and rescue capability with every flight we do, and this experience illustrated to me why that is so important. No matter what is happening in the world, no matter what mission set we’re tasked with amongst the versatile realm of missions the HSC Community performs, we are always ready to save lives. This diversity of missions is one of my favorite parts of being a helicopter pilot. We may be busy innovating with UAS on the East Coast, but we never forget the roots of our community. So remember that next time you brief. Always be ready because you never know when the call is coming.

Exhibit Hall Flight Suit Social Proudly supported by and When: Thursday, October 7, 2021 1630-1930 Where: Exhibitor Pavilion Register for Symposium to attend Cost : $25 per person

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Get Started Telling Your Stories By CAPT George Galdorisi, USN (Ret.)

Plot Is Important: But What About Characters?

kay, time to change direction and emphasis in our columns designed to help you become an even more fabulous writer. We are still focused on fiction. We have beaten “plot” into submission in the last several issues of Rotor Review. Now it is time to talk about the people who make the plot real, the “characters” in your story. What about characters? Where do they come from? Who are they? Are they composites of actual people that you know, or are they made up from whole cloth. Well, for most of us who write fiction that is something we always wrestle with and the easy answer is that it depends on the writer and what he or she wants to do (either consciously or subconsciously) First, full disclosure: I write thrillers. That means my male and female protagonists are doing active (and often kinetic) things. This leads to a certain kind of character. Writers who focus on other genres: romance, YA, supernatural etc. will likely have different kinds of characters. So let’s talk about characters in general, and then about characters who populate thrillers. First, some tried and true advice: I quote Timothy Spurgin, author of “The Art of Reading” in The Great Courses program. “There are only two plots: The hero takes a journey and a stranger comes to town.” Yes, the word “plot” is there, but it is the character – either the hero or stranger – who drives the story. Now here is some advice from the accomplished screenwriter, Bill Bleich, “You can distill any drama – a Greek tragedy, a Shakespearian play, a modern novel, a TV drama or comedy, whatever – into a simple equation: ‘What do these guys want, why do they want it, and what’s keeping them from getting it?” The point here is that the protagonists (as well as the antagonists) must want something for there to even be a plot. They can’t just be sitting on the beach waiting for the green flash. Rotor Review #153 Summer '21

A gent named James Hall wrote a book a while ago called Hit Lit. He analyzed 20th Century novels and called out the 12 best. His criterion wasn’t “artistic merit,” but what books sold the most copies. Here is his list: • Gone with the Wind • Peyton Place • To Kill a Mockingbird • Valley of the Dolls • The Godfather • The Exorcist • Jaws • The Dead Zone • The Hunt for Red October • The Firm • The Bridges of Madison County • The Da Vinci Code I would challenge any of you to come up with the plot points of most of these novels (all of which were made into movies), but I would wager that most of you remember quite a number of the characters: Don Vito Corleone in The Godfather, Marko Ramius and Jack Ryan in The Hunt for Red October, Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu in The Da Vinci Code and many others in these books. The point is that characters are memorable, plots maybe less so. If you want to write compelling fiction, your characters must be equally compelling. Here is some “how to.” It is important to introduce your characters in your story in a way that draws the reader in, gets them interested in knowing, and wanting to be with the character. All too often beginning writers introduce a character this way: “She was a gorgeous blond with crystal blue eyes who was five-foot-ten and a lithe 125 pounds. She had the presence of a CEO and the grace of a dancer.” And more and more data. This is what is called a “police blotter” and nothing here causes most readers to want to know or be with this character. 74

They say “write what you know,” and as mentioned above, I write thrillers. For decades, going back to Tom Clancy’s first books, these novels were overwhelmingly male. While I had male protagonists in my Tom Clancy Op-Center thrillers, as well as in my more recent Rick Holden thrillers (The Coronado Conspiracy, For Duty and Honor and Fire and Ice), I made a conscious decision to introduce strong female protagonists. Why? Think about it this way. When Tom Clancy published The Hunt for Red October in 1984, how many women commanded naval aviation squadrons, surface ships, strikes groups or other prominent operational entities? I think you get the point. So to wrap this column up, here is how I introduced female protagonists in three of my thrillers. For Tom Clancy’s Op-Center: Into the Fire: Kate Bigelow was a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. She’d gone to the Academy for two reasons: to play lacrosse and to sing. Coming out of Montgomery Blair Prep in Silver Spring, Maryland, her two passions had been playing lacrosse and singing in her school glee club and church choir. She was an all-state midfielder and also had a strong voice. Her grades were good if not outstanding, but the Academy women’s lacrosse coach saw her play and liked what she saw. Lacrosse was a rough sport, even the woman’s game, and Kate Bigelow, while owning a technically sound game, was not above flattening an opposing player with a legal hit. She started for three years on the lacrosse team, beating Army two of those three years, and had sung in the Catholic Choir and the Naval Academy Glee Club. Kate had graduated in the upper half of the bottom third of the Class of 2002. She’d never really considered a full career in the Navy as a seagoing officer, two things intervened that kept her from leaving the service. She found she liked U.S. Navy sailors and she had a knack for leading them. Secondly, she found command intoxicating. There was nothing like it on the outside, so she stayed in the Navy. She had previously commanded an MCM ship like Defender that now followed them out of Sasebo. For the Rick Holden Thriller The Coronado Conspiracy: For Laura Peters, it was an opportunity for professional growth that might not come her way again. It was not surprising she loved what she was doing. The daughter and only child of a Navy chief petty officer, she had been the apple of her father's eye. Master Chief Donald Peters had risen through the ranks as far as he could, but he always wanted to be an officer. That goal, unfortunately, had eluded him. When it was clear his marriage would produce no sons, he regaled Laura with the opportunities that beckoned in the Navy. The master chief knew enough about how the Navy worked and what it looked for in its officers—and particularly its need to recruit more women officers—that he groomed his daughter throughout high school to make her a shoe-in for winning a Navy ROTC scholarship.

She had thrived at the University of Virginia, earning top grades, and lettering in cross-country, squash, and tennis. Sensing that the Navy was still not enlightened enough to fully accept women as equal partners commanding ships and aircraft squadrons, she opted for the intelligence field upon graduation, correctly surmising that it would provide a more level professional playing field and afford her the opportunity to prove herself and advance through the ranks. In her seven years since graduation she had sought out only the toughest assignments, usually registering firsts, breaking ground where female officers had not gone before. For the Rick Holden thriller For Duty and Honor: Anne Claire O’Connor came by her bent for naval aviation naturally. The only child of now-retired Captain Jeff “Boxman” O’Connor, who had flown F-4 Phantoms in Vietnam and gone on to command his own carrier air wing, she had grown up in the midst of the lore of naval aviation. An honor student and varsity athlete at Coronado High School in southern California, she had won an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy and had excelled there as a swimmer. O’Connor was also worried. Not of what would happen in the air. No, she was worried because of Bingo. Commander Craig “Bingo” Reynolds was the Stingers executive officer and he was not the kinder, gentler type. As a brand-new lieutenant, O’Connor had absorbed more than a fair share of Bingo’s wrath. She didn’t know if he was trying to make it hard on her because she was one of only four women officers in the squadron. She was terrified because he would be in the Stingers’ Ready Room and would see her come in late. O’Connor looked out on the waters of the Arabian Gulf and into the perpetual haze that hung in the skies. As she got ready to taxi her aircraft back to its original position on deck, she wondered what part she would play in any conflict. One thing she did know—she’d be ready. I think you see the point, I introduce each character in a way designed to get you to want to know more about them professionally and to want to go on the journey with them. So, lots to chew on here. If your curiosity has kicked in and you don’t want to wait for the next issue of Rotor Review, try this link to my website: https://www.georgegaldorisi.com/. Other than writing thrillers, I like nothing more than connecting with readers. You can follow me on Facebook and Twitter, and learn more about my books, blogs and other writing on my website. For those of you trying to up your game regarding any kind of writing, check out my “Writing Tips,” which offer useful advice for all writers, from established authors to future best-selling writers.

CAPT George Galdorisi, USN (Ret.) is a career naval aviator whose thirty years of active duty service. For more on Get Started Telling Your Stories or other writing seminar information, visit CAPT Galdorisi's webpage:https://www. georgegaldorisi.com/ 75

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Awfully Slow Warfare Yes or No: Probability and Confidence in ASW By LCDR Tom Phillips, USN (Ret.)

ASW is tough. It is tougher if you are stupid. It is IMPOSSIBLE if you are stupid and don’t know it. Bishop’s Law #5 – You can’t deal with uncertainty by ignoring it.

SW is a game of probabilities. We use probabilistic terms all the time but perhaps do not think of them as uncertainties. Modern ASW seems to be steadily trending toward more and more binary: zero or one… yes or no. Absolute. Confidence Levels Right on the face of it, we have four confidence levels, NONSUB, POSSUB, PROBSUB and CERTSUB. POSSUB and PROSUB possible and probable, clearly probabilistic terms. Confidence levels CERTSUB and NONSUB sound very declarative, very binary, and don’t sound as probabilistic as POSSUB or PROBSUB. But look closer. CERTSUB might not be so CERT, as breaking waves, pods of dolphins, flotsam and jetsam, spurious radar contacts, have ALL-too-often been declared CERTSUB during real ASW. The less experienced against REAL submarines that ASW forces are, the less real ASW they have seen, and when the shooting starts, the less actual combat they have had, the more nervous they are, the more “things” will be declared to be submarine contacts, when the danger is real. (I can vividly still recall my old man telling me about sailing out of the Chesapeake Bay into Torpedo Junction in 1942, and the blizzard of “periscopes” detected: every breaking wave was a feather. U-boats had sunk 397 ships there in six months.) If you have never seen the threat submarine, when can you declare it to be CERTSUB? When you see floating tennis shoes and nuclear reactors? Even an oil slick after an attack can be a deception - such tricks almost as old as ASW itself. NONSUB. You are declaring that what somebody thought might be a submarine, something hard to find, something you can not even see, something YOU DID NOT FIND, is, therefore NOT THERE….. based on your extensive and exhaustive investigation….. You are declaring that you have proved a negative. There is no submarine here. Are you saying YES, you have stopped beating your wife? Or NO, you have not stopped beating your wife? Traditionally, NONSUB could only be declared if you found something there not a submarine which explained the alarm. Say for example, sighting Moby, with a 50-Hz ac-powered prosthetic flipper provided by the early Greenpeace folks after that unfortunate incident with the Pequod.

Rotor Review #153 Summer '21

Probability Terms Like the forward pass, where there are three outcomes relative to it (disregarding flag on the play); completion, an incompletion, or an interception, there are three outcomes which are relevant to the business of searching a Datum: Detection: The obvious. Missed Detection: A sub was there but you missed him; False Alarm: A sub was NOT there but you thought you had one. They are all probabilities. Probability of Detection versus Probability of Missed Detection They sum to 100%. Probability of missed detection is 1 minus probability of detection. If, given the submarine is really there, and probability of detection is, say, 75% (0.75) then probability of missed detection must be 25% (100% minus 75%, or 1.0 - 0.25). Probability of Missed Detection and Probability of False Alarm If you do not detect, there are the two other outcomes, missed detection and false alarm. They do NOT sum to 100%. They are in opposition to each other, but in a complex mathematical relationship (not simple addition or subtraction summing to 100% In fact, they will not sum to 100%), unlike the simple summing-to-100% relationship of detection and missed detection. RELAX! we are NOT going to the mathematical proof here, or elsewhere if I can help it. Both missed detections and false alarms are undesirable, but they are inescapable in real life ASW. An ASW Conundrum: Minimize False Alarms Versus Minimize Missed Detections You can minimize false alarms by raising the threshold of what is to be defined as “detection.” No calls unless Helen Keller can make the call. Every call will be a valid submarine contact. You’ll never be wrong that a called detection is not a submarine, since your criteria is so high that there are virtually NO FALSE ALARMS, but you will miss a lot of submarines, and that can be fatal to ships, people, mission, strategy, objectives, etc. A BGO. It is an ASW conundrum. In theory, at the extreme, you can eliminate false alarms, but logically, you can see that there has to be consequently more missed detections. You can minimize missed detections. To be damn sure you don’t miss the sub, you must call POSSUB at anything which COULD remotely be a whiff of a submarine. In theory, you will not miss a valid detection, but clearly, many will later be resolved (or declared) to be NONSUB, and technically fall 76

into the category of having been a false alarm, but be careful of that dangerous term, for if you want to minimize false alarms, you will increase missed detections, and a missed detection is far more likely to be fatal, whereas a false alarm is a bother, a necessary bother, can be annoying and frustrating, and use up a lot of resources (the cost of doing business in the real world), but is not usually fatal. However, collapsing a screen on a false contact can, and has, opened a path for the real submarine to penetrate to attack – fatal. A smart BG will not collapse the inner zone screen on a detection…… which puts pressure on the Romeo and highlights the classification flaws of its sonar. Remember, to properly declare a possible detection as NONSUB, which by definition then becomes a false alarm, is a positive outcome, and a successful conclusion to an ASW effort. Many POSSUBS will be determined to be NONSUB, and that’s ALL RIGHT…. If you ARE right. Is there some middle ground between these two extremes? It depends on: WHERE Are You Doing Your ASW? Way out there beyond the near field of the defended force, we can accept missed detections because, there is a tomorrow. If we miss out there, there is hopefully another chance later as the threat submarine progresses from distant, to middle, to inner, to TDZ, to in our knickers. In the inner zone, there is no tomorrow. Our back is against the wall. We cannot allow a submarine to get by us. We simply can not afford a missed detection. (Perhaps there will be revenge, but revenge is a bitter pill.) We CAN drive the probability of a missed detection down to virtually zero, but only by accepting many false alarms. Many false alarms means many investigations and a lot of activity for days, perhaps weeks. Our resources must be plentiful enough and our tactics must be FAST enough, and robust enough to deal with this reality. In a serious situation – war, or crumbling edge – we will have to sustain a lot of flight time, standing sentry around the clock. Sustained, numbing, flight ops. Why? Because in the inner zone, seconds count and no alert posture can possibly suffice. You have to already be in the air. If you are not already airborne, you are not a contributor to ASW inner zone defense. The Tyranny of Close-in ASW. This critical insight means a LOT of time in the air, a lot of energy, wear and tear on equipment, crew rest stress, stores expended, from the moment when a hostile submarine COULD be out there as we go to harm’s way. If we wait until we believe he is PROBABLY there, and he surprises us, we lose… I have been there: Based on our intel, one fine exercise in the ECS, we estimated when the submarine would intercept and saved ourselves until we thought we would need to be airborne. The submarine attacked while we were beddy-bye in our racks, lounging in the ready room, conserving ourselves

and our resources: we lost the fight before we were even in it. We KNEW he COULD be there but we decided he PROBABLY wouldn’t be. Never forget, he gets a vote and will be creative. We postulated what he would likely do in the conditions (water depth, merchant traffic, beach news, and a whole bunch of factors I can not talk about here, or I’d have to kill you. That was NOT HIS VOTE. BREAK BREAK Do we train for that ENDUREX? Is our equipment designed and built to bear the strain? Are you? How long can you stand it before some alibi or rationalization compromises the effort? You are of the notorious “attention-deficit-disorder” generation. Do you validate that pejorative moniker or are you patient enough for the long haul of real ASW? Real ASW is 24-7 and certainly for days, probably weeks. Falklands was FOUR WEEKS against ONE hostile submarine legitimately threatening the CVBF. (I highly recommend you go back and read the Falklands article in Rotor Review #xx page yy) ASW is definitely NOT a business where attention deficit disorder can be tolerated. We must be on guard 24-7 for long periods, at best days, at worst weeks. Crew rest? Can you sustain sufficient aircraft on station round the clock for days or weeks and comply with well-intended crew rest? War has been famously described by hours of boredom interspersed with moments of sheer terror. ASW is just that. Hours, perhaps days of boredom, then moments of high velocity, time-critical, desperate action, if you are in the inner zone, back against the wall, with no retreat. Pray your inner zone designers have allowed some battle space beyond the TDZ. Most of us do not truly experience this on range, because we KNOW the “sub” is there. We get the occasional false contact, and evaluate it sometimes as NONSUB, and at other times, yes, attack it. Driven To Classify with Ordnance: That’s what the RN did in the Falklands. Their situation is eerily like ours today. They only had ASW helicopters and ships, and four distant submarines in associated support (Where? Sorry, that answer is classified at the “burn-beforereading” level and present deponent does not even want to talk about it). So, their two carriers were defended in their inner zone and middle zone by helicopters and ships. Wherever the RN submarines might have been, they were NOT near the carriers, that’s for sure and, to ANY who call themselves an ASW professional, it better be a BGO why. The results? They shot ALL the torpedoes they HAD - 200 of them, over the four weeks - and hit no submarine – it was a rough time for the whale population of the South Atlantic. Why? Because they COULD NOT AFFORD a missed detection. Imagine how everything would have changed had one RN carrier been torpedoed by an Argentine diesel 77

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submarine. Admiral Sandy Woodward, RN, the commander down there, said such a hit would have won the WAR for Argentina. The Argies claim they never even heard a torpedo at any time during the entire war, ALTHOUGH they conducted several torpedo attacks on RN ships but their torpedoes failed. Some serious food for thought for the Romeo carrier community as well as expeditionary too. “The U.S. Navy report on the Falklands stated: The Royal Navy, long believed to be the best equipped and trained Navy in the Free World in the field of shallow water ASW, was unable to successfully localize and destroy the Argentine submarine San Luis, known to be operating in the vicinity of the task force for a considerable period” (30 days) “Woodward wrote of the “inescapable truth that the Argentine commanders failed inexplicably to realize that if they had hit Hermes, the British would have been finished.

They never really went after the one target that would surely have given them victory.” Does any of this sound like it might apply to us in a modern situation in a limited “war?” Short of war, who is holding who at risk as a way to influence the decision to start shooting? A BIG problem for us? We don’t exercise these conditions. All those NONSUB outcomes from false alarms, are annoying, burn time and resources, and can cause all sorts of angst and force poor decisions as the pressure builds. So there can be a lot of pressure from the uninitiated (not understanding the numbing endurance and patience carrier ASW requires) trying to economize all that energy usage and all those false alarms. That can be a very dangerous thing in ASW. One missed detection in the inner zone can well be fatal.

NGASAEB

Tom Phillips can be reached via the NHA Office.

Post Military Opportunities Forum & Lunch

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When: Thursday, October 7, 2021 - 1254-1245 Where: Oak Ballroom A Register for Symposium to attend Cost: $5 per person

Rotor Review #153 Summer '21

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True Story Enforcing the Tet Cease Fire of ‘71

By LCDR Tom Phillips, USN (Ret.) As if combat wasn’t dangerous enough, Vietnam offered myriad ways to get killed without the enemy laying a glove on you. Some ways involved friendlies, like "friendly" Vietnamese, some involved your own friends, even your own det mates and squadron mates, and some involved other Americans whose names you never learned.

t is Tet, 1971, the Vietnamese New Year. There is a cease fire in effect, what with the holiday and all, just like the one in Tet of ‘68, the bloodiest "cease fire" in the history of warfare as far as I know. Since Tet of ‘68, the U.S. military has been very active during the cease fires which followed, patrolling aggressively, and on alert. But the VC and NVA had learned their lesson in ‘68. Despite the completely incorrect assessment of the press back home, the VC were decimated on the battlefield during Tet of ‘68 and never really recovered as a stand-up fighting force. We didn’t realize that at the time, however. We did remember Tet, and how a hand full of Seawolves and SEALS and Navy River Rats had been credited with "saving" the Mekong Delta and routing the VC there. Not without loss. Every Seawolf knew about the two Det Six birds at Dong Tam which had been wiped out trying to scramble for base defense during a VC assault; how they had both been shot down by mortar fire trying to make that "Nantucket Sleigh Ride" down the runway with a full load of fuel and ammo. Cease fire or no cease fire, we were patrolling and loaded for bear. We were running a daylight sweep of the Cambodian border up in the Plain of Reeds. Pretty open country, largely drowned meadows, with little clumps of bushes and trees at seemingly random spots. Uninhabited. There were rice farmers trying to make a go of it along the major canals farther to the south, the ones which were regularly patrolled by riverine boats. But nobody up here on the border. I’m lead ship copilot for LTJG Mitch Brown who is working me out at navigating the wilds of the border. It’s an all-jaygee (all Naval Academy) fire team, with Skip Soper and Steve Hanvey in the trail bird. The navigating is getting tough because Mitch is flying at about 20 feet and 90 knots, staying low, going around the clumps of trees instead of over them. Skip is covering at the same altitude and about three hundred yards astern, weaving to cover us as we slalom through the trees. This is not flat hatting for the fun of it, although it’s a kick. At this altitude, amongst the trees and bushes, flying into the wind as we are doing, we can sneak up on folks. That’s right, I said sneak up on them. Proven fact. I had seen many a farmer looking the other way when we jumped a tree line and roared past them. And new as I was, I had already seen VC greased off a too-long paddy dike in a too-open paddy they had the misfortune to be crossing when we snuck up on them. We flew low level into the wind by design. Between the wind and the muffling effect of the trees, it was hard to hear the helicopters coming. When the noise did build up, Rotor Review #153 Summer '21

the rebounding of the sudden noise off the surrounding trees, made quick determination of direction difficult to do. It was common to burst over a tree line and catch farmers, friendly patrols, and hostile VC looking the wrong way and frozen in their tracks like deer in headlights. We dead reckon navigated between easily recognizable landmarks at low level. When the land was really trackless, we would pop up together now and then to get bearings on more distant landmarks, and then drop back down to the deck, where it was safe. Sometimes, only the lead would stay low and the trail would fly an offset at safe altitude, guiding him along from place to place conducting recon by fire. The area was usually a free fire zone. If friendlies were patrolling, we would have their op area charted and be a little prudent in what we shot up. Could usually get them on radio as we worked their area. They would be quick to let us know their posit when we were prowling, both to prevent us from shooting them by mistake and to make it easier for us to scramble to their support when they got into a fire fight. In a free fire zone, anyone else out there was not friendly. See someone? Shoot them. But not today. Today was Tet. No free fire zone. We had patrolled out from the YRBM at altitude several klicks south of the border to a good downwind position for a run up the canal ditch which marked the border. Because it was SOP never to follow a landmark like a canal for long, Skip was high cover and was vectoring us out from the canal and back again at intervals. (If you flew along roads, canals, etc regularly, somebody was going to set up shop with a .50-cal trap or some other unpleasantness and bag you). It happened to the army birds regularly. "Something up ahead Nine-four, come right for the trees at your one-thirty. Looks like people beyond the trees at the canal" called Skip, who was Seawolf Nine-Three, Mitch being Nine-four, and yours truly being Nine-eight, a number I hoped to get to use on the radio some day, when I made AHAC, and later FTL (Attack Helicopter Aircraft Commander, Fire Team Leader, respectively). "O.K. troops, look alive." said Mitch needlessly. We had been weapons hot since we lifted off, and nobody doped off running low level even during a cease fire. Not when a target might appear in seconds and the faster gun would win. We were usually the faster guns. I stowed the map and unlimbered the flex mini-gun sight. It looked like a dentist’s swing arm drill with a black box housing an infinity sight reticle at the drill end, a pistol grip on the bottom of the box and trigger and dead man switch on the pistol grip. Mitch and I looked 80

ahead, while the gunners swung their guns forward from their seats in the doors. If somebody opened up on us from right ahead, we could reply with 4,000 rounds per minute of my pylon mounted (two settings: 2000 and 4000 selectable, usually used 2000), remotely-fired flex-gun, 4,000 rounds per minute of the starboard door gunner’s door mounted handfired and aimed flex-mini-gun, and 600 rounds per minute of the left door gunner’s M-60 for insult. 8,600 rounds per minute of suppression against three simultaneous targets, not to mention Skips’ support fire. The trees were coming up fast, and Mitch swept past them to the left, rolling right in a thirty degree bank, leveling out at Skip’s call. "Remember, we’re weapons tight unless fired upon." warned Mitch. We couldn’t shoot because of the cease fire. Suddenly ahead of us was a group of NVA, lots of them. They were the deer in the headlights. We flew over them holding fire. They did not fire either. Mitch quickly put the nearest patch of brush and trees between us and them before they had a chance to change their minds, like a grouse being flushed from the Mountain Laurel back in Virginia. WE weren’t gonna hang around down there waiting for them to open up. He extended and climbed out beyond effective small arms range, about 800 yards beyond them. Skip had rolled in, positioned to shoot, as Mitch cleared the first patch of trees and broke off when we zipped around the second one. "Coming left" called Mitch as we started our climb, and Skip swooped into trail as we circled the NVA. The ones on the Vietnam side, about 20, had dropped their weapons and were standing still. The ones on the Cambodian side, about 30, were running for cover in the brush, and the ones in the canal, about 10, were climbing up the Cambodian side as fast as their little sandals would take them. We were not allowed to shoot into Cambodia without prior permission. Skip was already on the radio, calling the Province Senior Advisor, an American officer assigned as the liaison with the Province Chief, a Vietnamese, who could clear us to fire. "Dragon Romeo, this is Seawolf Nine-three, we’ve got 60 NVA crossing the Rach Co Co from Cambodia into Vietnam at coordinates Whiskey Tango six two three one four one. Request immediate weapons free, they’re getting away, over!" "Ah, Seawolf Nine-three, this is Dragon Romeo, negative, we have a cease fire, or haven’t you heard, over." "Dragon Romeo, they are the ones violating the cease fire! Right now! They’re armed, carrying supplies, and crossing the border into Vietnam from the Cambodia side at this time. We’ve caught them with their pants down! Request immediate weapons free, over!" "Negative, Seawolves. You can NOT fire unless fired upon, do you copy, Over?" "No fire unless fired upon, Roger, Out." Skip switched to the Det tactical freq. "Jesus! Hear that Nine-four?"

"Yeah, copy." replied Mitch. "What do ya want to do?" "Let’s grease’em all, Mr. B" interjected one of the gunners. "Right on!" added the other. My feelings exactly, I thought. "Well we better do something soon, Nine-four, they’re getting away. Look at those (carnal relations with female parent) scurry for the brush! "Any chance they’ll go brain dead and take a shot at us? "Not without provocation," said Skip. "I think I’ll give them some. Cover me." We turned in and dove for the deck turning to run up the canal between the banks, headed right at the last of the NVA frantically splashing across the canal by now. I looked over at Mitch, wondering if this was the thing to do. He had been hammering me with the philosophy that we did not indulge in fair fights except as a last resort. "Do NOT, repeat, do NOT fire unless fired upon." Mitch said to us as we swooped down building speed. Mitch buzzed them so low they submerged in the canal to keep from being hit by the skids. "Yeeee Hah! Look at those (male offspring of unmarried parents) run!" yelled a gunner. But no one shot at us. We were disappointed. (Later we decided we weren’t all THAT disappointed. If they had opened up, we could have been in a dicey situation, although those NVA would have been fools indeed had they opened fire on a light attack helicopter fire team in broad daylight in such open country. Even if they had knocked us down, Skip, from his covering perch at 1000 feet, would have slaughtered them. Only in the movies do trained aerial gunners miss targets out in the open in broad daylight. The only survivors would have been those who crawled in some hole under the brush and pulled the earth in behind them before the shooting had started.) "They didn’t go for it, Nine-three. What now?"There were enough of them deep in the brush by now for us to be unsure of a clean sweep, so we didn’t have to think all that hard about the advisability of greasing them all and claiming they had opened up on us. "RTB, Nine-four. Even if we can get cleared hot, it’ll be too late. They’re almost gone as it is." Now there was an ethical dilemma. They were breaking the cease fire. They would surely cross back into Vietnam as soon as the sun set or maybe at a later date. We would probably have to face them again some day under conditions more of their choosing. I know it crossed my mind, and it occurred to Mitch as well, for we talked about it later after the patrol. We understood that we did not have the official authority to take the law into our own hands and punish them for violating the cease fire. Did we have the moral authority to grease them now and seek forgiveness later, when we knew we could not get permission before they got away? It was reasonable to believe that further insistence would have caused the request to fire to get high enough for someone to give permission. Could we rationalize that? Would the very senior officer in the chain of command who would give us permission condone our presumption of his permission, or would he crucify us?

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True Story We concluded that, should such a golden opportunity ever arise again, we would take prompt action and blow those guys away. But none of us would see another cease fire while we were there. I wonder if we could have done it, for we were loaded down with ideals, and a sense of ethics and fair play which would get in the way on other occasions too. Oh well, I can sleep without remorse, not having broken "the rules", but

I’ll always wonder who later may have died and need not have, because we were too honorable to play by their rules that day. We turned for home, and climbed out into the setting sun, already planning to return as soon as we could refuel and get clearance to fire should we catch them again. Strangely, there was no sign of them anywhere when we returned.

NHA Retired/Former Events and Reunions Check the NHA website www.navalhelicopterassn.org for the most current information on anniversaries and reunions or contact retiredreunionmgr@navalhelicopterassn.org 2021 Naval Helicopter Anniversaries Source, original research done by CAPT Tom Ford, USN (Ret.)

HS-1-70th Year-Date-1951

HM-12 50th Year-Date 1971

HS-5/HSC-5 65th Year-Date 1956

HAL-4/HCS-4/HSC-84 40th Year-Date 1976

HS-6-HSC-6-65th Year-Date-1956

HM-18 35th Year-Date 1976

HS-8/HSC-8 65th Year-Date 1956

HSL-44/HSM-74 35th Year –Date 1976

HS-9 65th Year-Date 1956

HSL-45/HSM-75 35th Year-Date 1986

HS-15/HSC-15 50th Year-Date 1971

HSL-51/HSM-51 30th Year-Date 1990

Rotor Review #153 Summer '21

The Least Dramatic SAR Article of All Time By A Lieutenant Junior Grade

s a PQM on my first deployment and preparing for my first time underway on a ship, here’s what I was concerned about as I stepped aboard USNS Arctic: how do I find my way back to my room? Are the snacks that are sitting out free? And (because I need to throw up) where is the nearest bathroom? What I was not specifically concerned about was launching on a search and rescue mission, which I found myself doing 18 hours later. This was simultaneously my first actual SAR, and my first launch from a boat. I had instructors who said that this kind of thing could happen, and I would roll my eyes at them under my visor. I want to formally apologize to those instructors. Due to my lack of experience, the thought of a pop-up SAR was not on my radar. However, I ultimately felt prepared for it and learned a lot about what it takes to work in an operational environment, including the importance of remembering the basics and being ready for anything. The whole situation started in the middle of an all hands fire drill 12 hours after we conducted the fly-on. Our OIC was called to the Master’s office mid-drill and came back to us with the news that our ship was tasked to assist a 65-foot vessel that was dead in the water (DIW). At that moment, the nearest Coast Guard asset was over 10 hours away so the task fell to us. A crew was created on the spot, which included three other squadron mates, and me. Once the crew was formed we went to gather details and brief. We steamed through the Atlantic with high seas and an unfavorable forecast. Our most significant concern was that the vessel would capsize and the crew would be unable to survive the frigid water temperatures long enough for us to rescue them. Compounding this consideration was the fact that we were on a single spot supply ship, not expecting to fly; both aircraft were consequently folded in the hangar. As soon as we learned of the distress call, our maintainers got to work to get an aircraft ready for preflight and launch. They completed their inspections and pulled the aircraft out of the hangar and onto the flight deck in a way that reminded me of an elite NASCAR pit crew. At this time, we briefed the flight and made a potential rescue plan. We eventually started up the aircraft, took off, and headed out to the last known position of the vessel in distress. I wish I could tell you something more dramatic, or talk about how crazy it was, but I found the whole process of getting on-scene to be unnoteworthy. Nothing that was happening felt unfamiliar or foreign; it was just like the training flights in the FRS syllabus. We conducted the same procedures, the only difference being we actually had something to look for, and the stress of an instructor destroying you was replaced with the stress of having to find and potentially rescue actual people. The similarity of it all was a good confidence boost for me. We found the vessel

on the MTS soon after arriving on station. Approaching the datum, we established communications with the crew on a maritime frequency. We relayed their position back to the ship, along with some other information that would aid in the rescue. Circling overhead, we discussed how we would attempt a rescue if one became necessary. Ultimately, the two people onboard the vessel decided to stay with the ship despite the worsening sea state, so we returned to the ship to set up an alert. Although we did not conduct a rescue, I learned a lot from the event. The first thing that stood out to me was the revelation that safe mission completion is an ongoing team effort from the maintainers, aircrewmen, pilots, and many more people behind the scenes. Before this, I had never launched from a ship, so I had never witnessed the quickness and precision demanded of the maintainers when towing the aircraft in and out of the hangar. I did not realize the high levels of pressure inherent in this evolution until I was personally sitting in the aircraft after shutdown on a flight deck that was pitching and rolling near limits. As I sat in the helicopter, acting as the brake rider while it was being pushed into the hangar, I watched waves come up to flight deck height. I was very grateful that our maintainers are good at their jobs, and was reminded that, as a pilot, I am just one of many pieces of the operational puzzle. Another key takeaway from this situation was the importance of keeping up the basics of SAR when you are progressing through the tactics syllabus or preparing for a deployment. It is easy to get caught up in earning the next qualification and meeting all of the currency requirements before departing for a deployment. Both of these things are, granted, extremely important. But this event reminded me never to forget about the little things, like how to input a search pattern or how to go through the SAR TACAID. Finally, you might be wondering why I went on this mission when there were more experienced copilots that were available. I have no good answer for that, other than the fact that I just happened to be standing there when our OIC came down from the Master’s office after initially receiving the distress call. Up until this point, the craziest thing I had done in a helicopter was eat a barbecue sandwich in the cockpit during a flight. My perception was that if something like this came up, I would never be the one to go. This brings me to my last lesson learned. You should always be prepared to take the things you have learned and apply them to a real life situation, even if you have not had a lot of experience with those things. This whole situation taught me a lot. I still have a lot of learning left to do and a lot of experiences in front of me that will undoubtedly teach me more as I progress through my career. Although this ended up not being a dramatic rescue story, I can say with confidence that it has changed my perspective on many things and made me a better pilot. 83

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Off Duty Flight of the Pawnee by Marc Liebman Reviewed by LCDR Chip Lancaster, USN (Ret.)

he Pawnee as a rugged little aircraft designed to carry a load at treetop level with maximum maneuverability. So, how does that play out? Flight of the Pawnee starts out aboard an Israeli A-4 on an attack mission with unfortunately results. Marc Liebman’s new novel takes the reader on a 16-year ride from the streets of Beirut to the plains of east Texas. From an errant Israeli bombing mission to aerial combat, Flight moves at a hundred percent Nr and max speed. A young man’s life is nearly destroyed, turned inside out and set on a destructive path. We get a unique look inside of terrorism, it’s roots, growth and goals. In this case Harun al-Rashid becomes the Maker and al-Qaeda tasked to kill as many Americans as possible. Countering this, we’re introduced to Derek Almer, Navy special ops HH60H pilot whom we meet in a daring extraction mission. Derek’s continued professional growth and experience eventually lead to life as a sometime CIA operative out of the Navy. Both of the protagonists have loves and loss, their lives inexorably drawn closer and closer. Derek and Harun’s lives eventually crash together on a Texas highway, stirring up a hornet’s nest of reaction. Complications arise on both sides. Harun is working with the Mexican Brotherhood backed by the Sinaloa Cartel neither of which have al-Qaeda’s best interest, let alone Derek’s, in mind. It’s a money game of bad actors on that side. Derek’s interests are complicated by D.C. operatives and bureaucrats in the FBI, CIA and higher who want him out of the picture and will do anything to make that happen. But Derek has contacts and resources and is not going be dissuaded. The back-andforth action culminates in an explosive firestorm with deadly results and lessons learned on both sides. The author has done his homework researching terrorist procedure as well as politics and bureaucracy and the interaction of all of it in a contemporary setting. It is fiction, but definitely leads the reader to wonder is it that easy to get bad guys into the country to foment disaster and is the political and security community able to counter and stop it. Liebman’s also done considerable research in aircraft, weapons and construction so keep the Goggle handy. As well as technical authenticity, Flight of the Pawnee has thorough character development to go along with the action making it a great read. Pick up a copy for the beach or that vacation trip, you won’t be disappointed. Marc is a retired Naval Aviator who has written eight books now, many of which we have reviewed. You can check him out at his website https:// marcliebman.com . Rotor Review #153 Summer '21

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Radio Check In this iteration of Radio Check, we asked you to tell us about a memorable Crew Chief.

There are many aspects of the Rotary Wing community that distinguish us from the rest of the Naval Aviation Enterprise.To me, one of the signature features that makes the naval Rotary Force strong is our unique incorporation of aircrew in mission execution. Many accomplished pilots will tell you that they’d be nowhere in their respective careers if it weren’t for the guidance, knowledge, and wisdom of an excellent Crew Chief somewhere along the line. For this installment of Radio Check, we asked to hear from you regarding what makes a great Crew Chief. How did that Crew Chief help you get to where you are today? From Tom Phillips:

xcept to taxi straight ahead from one ramp spot to another, what can a Navy helo pilot (or most any helo pilot of a military helo at least), do without a crewman? Seriously. Can you name something?

They seldom get love, and are normally invisible in stories about helo exploits. One of my DRIVERS in life in all my scratching is to never forget the crewmen. So much we read is LT Short did this, LT Phillips did that, etc. etc. like we are solo. Almost any story from the POV by not-helo-people ignores their work and their names (not to mention the copilot). That has always frosted me and I highly encourage any writer to find a way to smoothly integrate them into your story: not just an obligatory listing of crew and forgetting them for the rest of the story. We should be especially thoughtful of this when addressing all those Restricted Aviators, and the Great Unwashed, who otherwise are probably insensitive to this element of helicopters. As a RULE, I submit this is a great RULE any self-respecting helo pilot should have no trouble buying into, although accomplishing it seamlessly can be a bit of a writing challenge. Examples of omitting them are legion: PO Smith entered the water and saved the rescuee. He may even get his name mentioned for that, especially if it becomes a bit dramatic down there. Who was positioning the helo over them and running the hoist? Either task not critical to the whole thing? If all goes according to plan, the work is invisible, and it is easy to leave him out. But if there is any drama, suddenly he is critical, and deserves some visibility. Name another mission and you can go through the same analysis (I hope not for the first time). Crewmen are always there, always critical, largely unthanked (except by their smart pilots), usually left unmentioned by the vast majority of writers, because they do not appreciate the Great Truth that we helo pilots are helpless to do any useful task without them. So to the question: What makes a great crew chief and personal shout outs? Don’t we all know what makes a great crewman? First tour Seawolves: a detachment’s aircrew were skilled gunners AND did the day-to-day maintenance, repair, and servicing of the det’s helos. They literally kept them out on the cutting edge alone and unafraid, reliably-repaired-remotely from minor battle damage, and ready to fly single-engine; over hostile territory from the moment we took off. And their gunnery skills (proven to the satisfaction of all the pilots and their fellow aircrew, any one of which had the veto. All out lives depended on their reliability) were our secret weapon and our claim to fame. They literally saved all our lives frequently as instant, effective, suppression of enemy fire is what keeps a slow helicopter alive in combat. 1. Subsequent life; HS SH-3 squadron: Skilled in operating the dipping sonar. If they can not find the submarine, no amount of awesome pilot tactical skill is going to be of any use. 2. Verbally coordinating with the PNAC to talk the helo through an approach to survivor or to ship fantail. 3. Verbally holding that position while the survivor is prepared for hoisting by the competent rescue swimmer or the ship takes its sweet time organizing a hoist package or HIFR hose. On a dark, non-NVGs, night, running hover trim without terrifying the pilots (training a rookie to do that was great fun). Calm voice is priceless here, no matter what is going on back there. Shout outs? Also named "Which of your children do you love the most?" First one which came to mind was AWC Gary Davey of HS-6 when I had the great good fortune to be Aircrew Division Officer as a j.o. He had the rhythm and the calm voice. We pilots believed he could tell us that our flight suit was on fire in such a soothing voice that we would not be alarmed but would clearly understand the message. He was the master of subliminal inflection when he talked. Many were loyal and appreciative acolytes to the master and we all benefitted. The aircrew In encountered in my flying life were so consistently good that the few no-so-good stand out more than the many who were our strength. Rotor Review #153 Summer '21

From CAPT Michael Middleton, USN (Ret.)

ne of the benefits of reaching a position of leadership in a helicopter squadron, is that you are assigned the senior aircrewman as your permanent crew. With the World Famous Indians of HS-6 in ‘86, I was privileged and honored to fly with AWC Andy Anderson. He was an extraordinary sonarman, tactician, and leader. He wasn’t however, a “morning person”. I always asked for the dawn launches, so I had the rest of the day available for “administrative duties”. The AWC had to persevere through those early mornings and always supported his pilot. He also persevered through ALERT 5’s in 110 degree heat when the BIG “E” was going through “the ditch”, and a night landing on an “out of limits” deck roll on a smallboy for a lifesaving MEDIVAC out of Okinawa. But the highlight of our time together was tracking a Soviet “Charlie” sub at night, that was shadowing the carrier in the North Arabian Sea. Once the AWC had contact, he seldom lost it. Sticking to the “Crew Concept” during deployment has many benefits. But it benefitted me the most, since I was honored to fly my last tactical missions with AWC Andy Anderson!

From LT Grant “Dingle” Kingsbery, USN

good crew chief is one who is involved in the flight, and someone who takes pride in their knowledge of the aircraft and use of CRM. A crew chief who is reliable and who can be fully trusted to spread the workload of the mission requirements throughout the entire crew makes for a more smooth and safe execution of mission standards. A shout out to AWSC Downey, a crew chief who has set the example for me throughout my time flying. Whether we are flying a FAM flight for a couple of brand new Fleet Replacement pilots and aircrewmen, or a SWTP Lvl 3 PR/SOF Full Mission Profile, his attention to detail and knowledge of NATOPS and SEAWOLF are evident and critical to achieving the learning objectives. Being scheduled to fly with a crew chief who exemplifies the job sets the flight up for success from the beginning, and provides a great foundation to showcase the range of our ability as a community.

Navy Announces Initial Aviation Warrant Officer Selection Board

From MC1 Mark D. Faram, Chief of Naval Personnel Public Affairs new era in Naval Aviation launches on Aug. 2 when a board will meet to select the initial cadre of Aviation Warrant Officers who will be trained to fly the new MQ-25 carrier-based unmanned aerial vehicle. The call for applications, announced in NAVADMIN 141/21 and released on June 28, says that qualified Sailors and civilians can apply for the program through Navy Recruiting Command. Applications to be considered by the board are due on July 26. Last December, the program’s approval came when the Navy formally established the Aerial Vehicle Operator (AVO) warrant officer specialty in NAVADMIN 315/20.

Over the next six to 10 years, the Navy plans to recruit, train and send to the fleet a community of roughly 450 aviation warrants. The community is expected to eventually have warrant officers in grades spanning W-1 through W-5. Those selected for the program will first complete Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island. Upon graduation, they will commission as Warrant Officer One (W-1). They must then complete basic flight training as well as advanced training on the MQ-25 aerial vehicle. Once basic flight training has been completed, these officers will earn their own distinctive Navy "wings of gold" warfare devices and be assigned the 737X designator. The basic eligibility requirements are outlined in Navy Program Authorization 106A, which applicants can download at https://www.mynavyhr.navy.mil/Portals/55/Career/OCM/PA-106A_CWO17371_AVO_Feb-2021.pdf. Both enlisted and civilian candidates can apply, though through separate channels. Active-duty and reserve Sailors must submit their package as outlined in the Enlisted to Officer Commissioning Programs Application Administrative Manual (OPNAVINST 1420.1B). Civilians and enlisted service members from other services should contact a local Navy officer recruiter and apply through Navy Recruiting Command. If an applicant needs a waiver for any of the requirements, it must be submitted in advance with enough lead time to allow approval by the application due date. This is just the first of what will be many selection boards for the program. In the future, these boards will not be announced by naval message, but instead simply added to the Navy Recruiting Command’s officer board schedule available on the MyNavy HR website at https://www.mynavyhr.navy.mil/CareerManagement/Career-Counseling/Commissioning-Programs/. For more news from the Chief of Naval Personnel, follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mynavyhr, Twitter at https://twitter.com/mynavyhr or visit https://www.navy.mil/ cnp. 87

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Change of Command TACTRAGRULANT

HSC-21 Blackjacks

CDR Michael Silver, USN relieved CDR Richard Haley, USN May 6, 2021

CAPT Shawn Bailey, USN relieved CAPT Paul Bowditch, USN January 14, 2021

HSM-79 Griffins

CDR Brett “Brelko” Elko, USN relieved CDR Josh “JP” Peters, USN May 13, 2021

Rotor Review #153 Summer '21

HSC-11 Dragonslayers

CDR Bill Guheen,USN relieved CDR Pat Morley, USN May 6, 2021

NAVY REGION SOUTHWEST

COMHSMWINGPAC

RADM Stephen Barnett, USN relieved RADM Bette Bolivar, USN July 16, 2021

CAPT Brannon Bickel, USN relieved CAPT Jeffrey Melody, USN June 15, 2021

HSC -3 Merlins

CDR Loren M. Jacobi, USN Relieving CAPT William G. Eastham, USN August 12, 2021

Naval Aviation Training Support Group, New River

CDR Keith Klosterman, USN relieved CDR Cristobal Yera, USN August 19, 2021 89

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Engaging Rotors Congratulations to the New Naval Aviators April 9, 2021

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HT-28 Rotor Review #153 Summer '21

Congratulations to the New Naval Aviators April 23, 2021

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Engaging Rotors Congratulations to the New Naval Aviators May 27, 2021

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HT-28 Rotor Review #153 Summer '21

Congratulations to the New Naval Aviators June 11, 2021

Congratulations to the New Naval Aviators June 25, 2021

(Photo credits go to Ensign Wallis Lawrence, NAS Whiting Field Public Affairs Office) 93

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Engaging Rotors Congratulations to the New Naval Aviators July 9, 2021

Rotor Review #153 Summer '21

Congratulations HSC- 2 Fleet Replacement Aircrew Class Graduates

June 7, 2021 Graduates (from left): Airman Cornelius Dobbins; Airman Rey Draime; Airman Ethan Shipley; Airman Zachary Valcarce.

June 25, 2021 Graduates (from left): Airman Jose Chavez; Airman Dillan Duran; Airman Mason Fisher; Airman Claude Greer; Airman Ryan Pilon; Airman Ellis Sale; Airman Benjamin Walkden.

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Signal Charlie CAPT Dick Catone, USN (Ret.) following a memorial service for a fellow helicopter pilot, is credited with the following statement: “I guess we are all in starboard delta waiting for Signal Charlie.” Starboard Delta is the holding pattern for the airborne Search and Rescue helicopters on the starboard (right) side of the aircraft carrier. They fly at a low altitude so as not to interfere with the fixed-wing aircraft recovery pattern, and only land when the last fixed-wing aircraft is safe on board. When tower calls the helicopter to pass “Charlie” to a landing spot, the crew knows the fixed-wing recovery is complete, all is well, and it is time to come back. Hence, the statement appears appropriate that someday we will receive our own “Signal Charlie” and will be called home for a final landing. Signal Charlie has been created to inform our membership and honor the passing of fellow unrestricted aviators. It is only as good as the information we receive. If you have an obituary or other information that you would like to provide concerning the passing of a shipmate, co-worker, or friend of the community, please contact the NHA National Office at signalcharlie@navalhelicopterassn.org and we will get the word out. CDR Robert Richard Niemczyk, USN (Ret.)

DR Robert Richard Niemczyk, USN (Ret.),73, passed away peacefully at home on April 9, 2021, after a battle with ALS. Robert proudly served 22 years in the United States Navy as a helicopter pilot [ R- 11834 ], retiring as executive officer of Mayport Naval Station. He will be deeply missed by his family: Pamela, his wife of 50 years, Todd (son) and Meghan, Rebecca (daughter) and Keith, and his grandchildren, Hannah, Jack, and Chad. Robert was an avid fisherman and loved a good story. The family honored him at a Catholic Mass on June 1, 2021 at Holy Spirit Catholic Church followed by interment at the National Cemetery with military honors. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the ALS Foundation, ALS.org/Florida or the Mayo Clinic, mayoclinic.org, in his honor. In his memory the following poem is dedicated:

A Pilot’s Final Flight Upon departing your last port of call, Regrets jettisoned into the blue sea, For the ocean is large and we are but small, The bosun pipes not for sorrow but glee. Strike eight bells, your earthly watch concluded, Take to the sky in a whir and hum, Men line the rails, white gloved saluting, Heaven bound, your duty honorably done. So lift to the sky, throttle increase, pitch rising, Fear not death, for in life’s joy we shared, And take to heaven’s never ending horizon, Be at peace, knowing we are under your care. Like an eternal star, over us you shine, While flying is heavenly, to hover, divine. Fair Winds and Following Seas.

Rotor Review #153 Summer '21

CAPT Joseph M. Purtell, USN (Ret.) One of twelve original founders of the Navy Helicopter Association (NHA) in 1971, former Commanding Officer of HS-2, HS-10 and NAS Jacksonville, FL

t is with a heavy heart that we let all of you know that Joe Purtell passed away peacefully on the morning of May 3, 2021 at Rockledge Regional Medical Center. Captain Joseph M. Purtell USN (Ret.)was the son of the late Joseph A. and Marie R. Purtell of Jamaica Walk, Breezy Point. Joe was a summer resident of “The Point” from the 1940’s to 2018. He was also preceded in passing by his wives, Julie (Henderson), Liz (Williams), daughter Deanna Gaston, sons Joseph Jr., Kevin, sister Marie Haug and sister Margaret of Maryknoll Sisters. He is survived by sons David, Mark (Ingrid), son-in-law Dr. Bob Gaston, daughter-in-law Niki, nine grandchildren and two great grandchildren. LTJG Joseph M. Purtell, USN received his wings at HTG-1 at NAS Ellyson Field, Pensacola, Fl on September 27, 1957. LTJG Purtell is Navy Helicopter Pilot Designator Number R-3719. Joe graduated from Regis H.S. in NYC, College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA and with a MS from the US Naval Postgraduate School Monterey, CA. He served as an Aviator in the US Navy for thirty years in Antarctica, Vietnam and many years of carrier based anti-submarine missions in the north Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Pacific areas. He commanded two squadrons and NAS Jacksonville. He also served as Head of the Rotary Wing (Design) Branch and was instrumental in bringing the SEAHAWK helicopter and LAMPS MK III Weapons System to the Fleet. After the Navy, he represented the Sikorsky Aircraft corporation as Director, International Business. CAPT Purtell is a life member of the Naval Helicopter Association (NHA) #236. In retirement, he and Liz were “Snow Birds” living at IRCC in Viera, Fl. But spending the summers in Breezy point. A Funeral Mass was held on Saturday, May 8, 2021 at St John the Evangelist Catholic Church Viera, 5655 Stadium Pkwy Melbourne, Florida. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Captain Joe M Purtell USN Ret, please visit our floral store. (https://www.beckman-williamson.com/obituary/CaptainJoe-PurtellUSNRet/sympathy) “As CO HS-2, he made the first West Coast squadron deployment on a CVA, USS Independence, deploying to the Med. His tactical expertise, using the much maligned passive capability of the AQS-13, allowed us to track the Soviet submarines trailing the Carrier Battle Group during the entire cruise which earned the squadron the Admiral Thatch, Isbell, and Battle E awards in 1971.” CAPT Buck Buchanan, USN (Ret.) “A great loss for our fellow warriors. Joe was an inspirational leader and a long-time friend. Rest assured his legacy will remain. I’m sure he received a momentous welcome. He, along with our other fallen comrades, are expanding Heaven’s Ready Room. Joe…til we meet again…”Fair Winds and Following Seas!” TO FLY IS HEAVENLY…BUT TO HOVER IS DIVINE!” All the best, Shipmates CAPT Dick Catone, USN (Ret.) “The success of the H-60 MK-III Program is due to CAPT Purtell. Assuming the job as Program Manager in the 1979-1980 timeframe, he took a program that was experiencing serious delays and technical shortfalls and put it on his back, inspiring his staff and all related entities to get it to the Fleet on time, while meeting all operational requirements. Believe me, it wasn’t easy and as the initial CO of HSL-41, I can tell you without Joe, it would not have been anywhere as good as it turned out. In the following years, I would seek his advice on a lot of issues and he always took the time to work through and solve many pressing issues with me. At this time, it is appropriate for everyone to know some of the people who made the program work. Just to name a few – Joe Purtell – Bill Stuyvesant – Joe Peluso – and Mike Baxter made it happen. But make no mistake, Joe Purtell was the hammer that drove the nail. You were the best Joe and the entire community owes you and others of your time a tremendous amount of gratitude for where we are today. RIP Joe – you will always be remembered.” CAPT Michael B. O’Connor, USN (Ret.) FAIR WINDS AND FOLLOWING SEAS CAPTAIN PURTELL! Donations in in CAPT Purtell's honor my be made to the following organizations. Disabled American Veterans 400 South Sykes Creek Parkway Merritt Island FL 32952 Tel: 1-321-452-1774 Web: https://www.dav.org/

Wounded Warrior Project 7020 A.C. Skinner Parkway, Suite 100 Jacksonville FL 32256 Tel: 1-877-832-699 Web: http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital 501 St. Jude Place Memphis TN 38105 Tel: 1-800-805-5856 Web: http://www.stjude.org/

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Signal Charlie CDR Wilton J. “Jerry” Smith, Jr., USN (Ret.)

ilton J. Smith Jr. (Jerry) passed away on April 24th, 2021. At the time of his death, CDR Smith and his wife were residents of Carmel Valley for 10 years after moving from Annapolis, Maryland. Jerry’s son Gordon lives in Durham, England with his wife Ann and son Eli Alexander Smith. He was predeceased by his daughter, Larkin Margaret He spent many wonderful years sailing the Chesapeake Bay. His great knowledge of history illuminated many places he anchored. One of his favorite cruises was on the Pride of Baltimore, a clipper designed in the 1800s, sailing to Halifax, Nova Scotia. After retirement from the FAA, he and his wife, Linda, continued sailing the eastern seaboard, including Key West, on their catamaran. His favorite boat, Growler, an 18 ‘ catboat, is inscribed on a plaque in El Carmelo Cemetery in Pacific Grove near a Monterey Cypress where he will be inurned. LTJG Wilton J. Smith, Jr., USN received his wings on January 26, 1965 at HT-8, NAS Ellyson Field, Pensacola, FL. LT Smith was Navy Helicopter Pilot Designator Number R-7733. CDR Smith’s first assignment was with Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron SIX, HS-6, when, in 1966 he deployed aboard USS Kearsarge, CVS 33. CDR Smith was a pioneer in the early days of Navy Combat Search and Rescue and was a decorated combat helicopter pilot involved in a number of successful and extremely hazardous rescues of downed U.S. Airmen in the waters off of Haiphong, North Vietnam. He attended the Naval Post Graduate School where he became an Acoustical Engineer and later transitioned to the Aviation Engineering Duty Officer Community. In the 1970s he was assigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron One, VX-1, where he pioneered development and tactical employment of the advanced ASW signal processing equipment that was the mainstay of both the P-3 and LAMPS MK-III communities. In the late 1970s CDR Smith was assigned to the Staff of CINCUSNAVEUR where he lived in London with his family. Following his retirement from the Navy, CDR Smith attended the George Washington University Law School. After graduation he practiced International Aviation Law and served with the Federal Aviation Administration until he retired in 2011. Ron Clarke HS-6. 1965/66/67 remembers: Our crew was in Det A, on HS-6 West-PAC in 1966 and we saw plenty of enemy fire. On July 7, we went into Haiphong Harbor and rescued Bill Isenhower (A4D pilot). The junks were closing in on us, and as soon as he was in the horse collar, feet coming out of the water, we transitioned to forward flight recovered Isenhower in forward flight, at about 100 knots, as we headed back out to sea! Jerry was at the controls during the inflight recovery!! Then on July 27, 1966, while operating from the USS Ranger, we had to launch at night off a pitching and rolling deck, proceed to the coast of North Vietnam, just North of the DMZ, in rain and clouds. As we approached the coast, the Wx. Cleared, and with the help of a 500 # bomb at the waterline, courtesy of the 3 circling AIR Force B57’s, we knew our entry Point. Just as we crossed the beach, I still remember, in the dim cockpit lights, Jerry ducking back in the armor plated seat, Keying the mike and saying, “HERE IT COMES”!! A tracer went straight up, almost in the rotor area, and for the next 27 minutes, it was steady tracers and some 12.7. ( Conrad & Armstrong crewmen /Gunners went through over 3000 rounds of 7.62, M60 ammunition in 27 minutes, plus 2 each M-60 barrel changes) This rescue, of Air Force Captain Marvin Mayfield, is detailed in “Leave No Man Behind” by George Galdorisi & Tom Phillips. Jerry received the Distinguished Flying Cross for this rescue. He received at least 2 Air Metals on that cruise. He was always cool, efficient, and dependable. Enjoyed flying with him!! I feel a large loss with his passing. Loss of a GOOD Man! CAPT Arne Bruflat, USN (Ret.), who flew with Jerry in HS-6 aboard the USS Kearsarge CVS-33 off VN in ’67. Fair winds and following seas, Shipmate. Dick Lynas HS-6 1965-68 writes: I am very sorry to hear that Jerry has left us. One of his many talents was art, and I’ve attached a drawing (below) that he made for Al Fox which I scanned and printed out at the 2017 reunion so RRs could sign it with messages for Jerry since he didn’t join us. His “Big Mutha” was one of a kind and reflects some of his sense of humor.” To Plant Memorial Trees in memory, please visit our Sympathy Store. (https://sympathy.legacy.com/en-us/funeral-flowers/ga llery/?type=obituary&p=198576792&pn=wilton-smith-funeral&affiliateId=2550&pm=240)

Rotor Review #153 Summer '21

CDR Kenneth Pisel, USN (Ret.)

enneth P. Pisel, Jr. died peacefully on May 25, 2021, after an extended battle with prostate cancer. In his final act (death) he successfully killed every cancer cell in his body and declared victory over the disease. Just to be sure, he toasted the little bastards and they are now in this blue urn. Ken also made numerous presentations about prostate cancer to deprive the disease of future victims…another victory. Ken had many loves in his life: his family, the Navy, work, travel, and the Philadelphia Eagles. It all started with his wife, Andrea—the first and only girl he ever dated or loved. They met in high school, were married at the United States Naval Academy Chapel in June 1974 and went on to have three wonderful children: Christopher, Matthew, and Allison. Together they have two grandsons: Chris and Becky with Casey and Allison and George (Kaline) with Grayson. He shall always be with them in spirit and is confident they will all be brilliant in his physical absence. Commander Pisel’s love of the Navy started in 1970 when he reported to the Naval Academy for Plebe Summer. Over his four years as a Midshipman and the many years to follow, his classmates and company mates were always a source of strength and inspiration. After graduation, he reported to flight training and soon found the second greatest love of his life: the H-46 Sea Knight helicopter. He loved flying the Phrog, slinging loads of supplies between ships at sea, and was always indebted to the fellow pilots, aircrew, and maintenance folks who helped keep him out of the water. Ken reported to the Armed Forces Staff College for his final tour in the Navy. Knowing retirement was in his future, he went back to college to get a fresh degree to be more marketable as a civilian. He learned that the VA would not pay for another master’s degree, but they would pay for a Doctorate. Doctor Pisel completed his degree and accidently created a job for himself at the college. In his 27+ years at the Joint Forces Staff College he held myriad titles and most notably created enduring blended learning and satellite programs and led the direction of distance education across the numerous DOD professional military education schools. Were it not for his inconvenient demise, he would prefer to still be working. His wanderlust was aided and abetted by both the Navy and the Staff College. Right out of flight training, he and Andrea spent two years on the side of Mt Etna in Sicily. They returned from that tour with Christopher. Multiple deployments enabled Ken to see the fjords of Norway, Portsmouth England, the Mediterranean, the Suez Canal, the Indian Ocean, and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. His penultimate Navy tour was three years in London with the entire family. They all have great memories of London, Scotland, the tulips of Holland, the German Alps, Wales, and Devon. The programs he developed at the college required multiple trips to the major headquarters. His favorites were Stuttgart and Hawaii, but there was always a favorite place to eat or visit and wonderful people at every site. After the Eagles won the Super Bowl in 2018, Ken cried. He was never sure if this was a side effect of hormone therapy that made him a large, bald, menopausal woman or the sheer joy of the Eagles’ victory. Unfortunately, the NFL became a bastion for social justice warriors and Ken abandoned watching professional football (serendipitously at the same time the Eagles stopped playing football). A memorial service honoring Commander Pisel took place on Saturday, June 5, 2021 at Hollomon-Brown Funeral Home, Princess Anne Chapel. An inurnment with military honors will take place at a later date.

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CAPT Russell E. Berry, Jr., USN (Ret.)

APT Russell Elliott Berry Jr., USN, (Ret.) of Beaufort, South Carolina and husband of Judith “Judy” Berry died Friday, March 26, 2021 at MUSCCharleston. Russell Elliott Berry Jr. was born March 21, 1942 in Staten Island, New York. He was the eldest of five boys born to Russell Elliott Berry and Emily Margaret Franck. Russell was predeceased by his parents and two brothers, Bruce Otto and Floyd William Berry. He is survived by his wife Judith “Judy” Berry; two children Michael Thomas Berry (Lisa) of Greensburg PA and Jennifer Lynn Wolfe (Kevin) of Denver NC; four grandchildren Dillon, Brendan, Ashley and Ryan; two brothers Guy and William; sister in law Sandra Palumbo; and nephews Stephen and Jeffrey Eggleston. Russ was raised in Bourne, MA on Cape Cod and graduated High School in Ogdensburg, NY. He graduated from the US Naval Academy (BS) and the George Washington University (MS). Judy and Russ met and married in 1981 in Washington, DC at the Navy Chapel. CAPT Russell E. Berry, Jr., USN (Ret.) was the former CO of HSL-37 and received his wings as a LTJG at HT-8, NAS Ellyson Field, Pensacola, Florida on January 26, 1965. CAPT Berry was Navy Helicopter Pilot Designator Number R-7736. Russ served 20 years in the United States Navy. He served as a naval aviator, engineering test pilot and Squadron Commanding Officer. Russ served foreign tours in Vietnam and Egypt. Some of Russ’s personal decorations include Legion of Merit, two Meritorious Service Medals, and an Egyptian Presidential Citation. He served as Navy’s chief engineer for procurement of SH60B multi-mission helicopter. Russ retired as a Captain in 1983. Following his naval career, he joined Sikorsky Aircraft in international program management and business development. He led major military helicopter acquisitions programs in Japan, Taiwan and Australia. While working with the US Navy customer, he developed Navy Helicopter Master Plan which led to current Navy Helo Concept of Operations (CONOPS-1) in 2001 and reorganization of entire US Navy helicopter fleet. He was the primary author of Mission Essential Needs Statement (MENS) for Navy CH-60, folding in requirements for Vertical Replenishment, Combat Support and Combat Search and Rescue. This led to procurement of MH-60S program. Russ led business development activities with US Navy customer wherein Sikorsky was awarded major acquisition contracts for over 500 MH-60R and MH-60S multi-mission helicopters. Russ retired for a second time in 1997 to 170 acre farm in Orwell Township in northeastern Pennsylvania. Judy and Russ were stewards of their land for thirty wonderful years. His two Schnauzers- Rudy and Molly- were constant companions and left many special memories of the “immeasurable joy” they provided. They were confirmed “snowbirds”; Russ and Judy traveled in their motorhome for 12 years to Canada, the South and Southwest- finally making Beaufort SC their winter base (and final residence) in 2010. A graveside service was held on April 9, 2021, at Beaufort National Cemetery with United States Naval Honors. Please share your thoughts and stories about Russ by visiting www.copelandfuneralservice.com.

CWO4 Willard Anthony Haver, USN (Ret.)

he grease monkey, record playing, antiquing, retired air crewman, rescue swimmer, veteran, officer, and all-around good dude, walked out to the garage one last time on June 4, 2021. The man, the myth, the legend. Tony Haver was fire and rain. He was the werewolf of London and a tiny dancer. The jumpin’ Jack flash, tambourine man who heard it in a love song listened to vinyl on his old stereo (purchased on deployment in Italy during the 80’s) every Sunday morning. Tony preferred the early Stones and the late Beatles. Born to William W. and Esther G. Haver (both deceased), The Dude is survived by his daughters, grandchildren, DT, and younger siblings. Tony loved his country and his Fairlane. His girls were his pride, and the grandkids were his joy. The Dude’s proudest accomplishment was raising three strong, independent women. He taught them to work on cars, to love nature, that good music gets you through anything and to just be thankful. Tony took great pride in stocking their toolboxes.Tony was love and sarcasm personified. His bear hugs and hidden snacks will be missed. Funeral services were held on Tuesday, June 15. Eternal rest will be at Arlington National Cemetery. Fair winds and following seas CWO4-Haver. You may offer condolences at www.kellumfuneralhome.com Willard Haver Obituary – Virginia Beach, VA (dignitymemorial.com)

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CDR Pierre Numa Charbonnet III, USN (Ret.)

ierre Numa Charbonnet III, 73, will be lovingly remembered by his friends and family. He died at home surrounded by his family, on June 15, 2021 after a long struggle with ALS . Pierre was born on February 2, 1948, in Tulsa Oklahoma, to Pierre and Mary (Dutton) Charbonnet, their fourth child and only son. He graduated high school at RandolphMacon Academy in Front Royal Virginia, attended Tulane University and graduated from the University of Mississippi. In 1970 he was commissioned in the United States Navy, and earned his “Wings of Gold” on July 7,1972 at HT-18, NAS Ellyson Field, Pensacola, Florida. LTJG Charbonnet was Navy Helicopter Designation Number R-12157. He and Melissa began their life together in Pensacola and moved from squadron to squadron where he flew H-2 Sea Sprites. As a Cold War Warrior, he flew Anti-Submarine missions from United States Navy Spruance Class destroyers, locating and tracking Soviet submarines in the Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea. In 1988 he received orders to the “Rocky Mountain Navy”, where he found his professional passion. He was part of the formidable team that defined and laid the plans for the Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS); a multi-billion-dollar satellite system that continuously scans the world for missile launches and other heat generating occurrences in support of the DoD and other US National agencies. Although most of the SBRIS operational activities are still classified, the DoD recently released information on the events of January 7, 2020 when the SBIRS system saved the lives of uncounted US troops after Iran launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles at US and coalition forces in Iraq. On May 18, 2021 the 5th SBIRS Geosynchronous satellite was successfully launched from Cape Canaveral. Pierre spent twenty-four years on active duty before transitioning to his civilian career where he continued working with space surveillance and the intelligence communities. Immediately after leaving the US Navy he worked one year as the ROTC instructor at King George High School and, with community member, Ken Novell, they started the first competitive Swim Team at King George High school. Pierre loved to spend time outdoors, whether on skies, hiking, biking, boating on the Potomac, or out on the bush-hog. He loved to travel; he showed his family most of the United States and his wife most of Europe, work took him to Eastern Europe and Asia often. He had a passion for the arts, he enjoyed outdoor concerts in the park, art museums, Shakespeare theater, oyster and wine tasting at Strattford Hall. His faith and his family were his life’s priorities and when asked once what his greatest accomplishments in life were, he responded that it was that his children still wanted (and did) come home. Pierre was preceded in death by his parents and three sisters, Anne Constance, Louise McIver and Michelle Tomkins. He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Melissa (Buffalo) Charbonnet, his three children, Jonathan (Tess) Charbonnet, of Metairie Louisiana, Amalie (Sean) Foss, of Mason Ohio, Mary (Khaled) Hachwi of Oakhill Virginia, his ten grandchildren, Ella, Peter, Anna, Daniel, Elie, Benjamin, Fares, Amine, Andrea, Beau, two sisters, Hildegard Leffen, Suzanne Benefield, and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews. A funeral mass was held on July, 9, 2021 at St Mary of the immaculate Conception in Fredericksburg VA. In lieu of flowers please send donations to St. Jude’s Childrens’ Research Hospital.

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CDR William Seffers, USN (Ret.) July 1, 1948 - April 4, 2021

illiam “Bill” John Seffers passed away April 4, 2021, in Colorado Springs, Colorado at the age of 72. Bill was born July 1, 1948, to William and Dorothy Seffers in Manhattan, New York. Bill graduated from Manhattan Prep High school in 1966 and continued with his education, first earning his bachelor's degree in political science from Belmont Abbey College, then two master’s degrees from Salve Regina University and later from the U.S Naval War College. Bill had an extremely honorable career as a commander in the United States Navy where he flew as a helicopter pilot and proudly served his country for 25 years. Bill was known as Willy by his Navy and squadron mates and Big Willy if you knew him a little better, being a man of some stature. He was Commissioned from the AOC (Aviation Officer Candidate) program in December of 1970 and winged at NAS Ellison in Pensacola in January 1972 after flight training in the T-34, T-28, TH-57 and TH-1L. His first tour was at NAS Whidbey Island SAR to fly the CH-46A Sea Knight helicopter, arriving there in February of 1972. He arrived at HC-3 on NAS North Island in February of 1974 to fly the CH-46D for back-to-back sea and shore tours doing VERTREP, logistic support, SAR and MEDEVAC missions followed by being a flight instructor for the same aircraft and missions. His deployments at HC-3 included Det 106 on the USS White Plains in 1974. In 1977 and again in 1979 he was Santa Claus for the squadron Christmas festivities. He would don the traditional red suit, boots, hat, and beard to be flown onto the squadron ramp in an HC-3 CH-46D, then walk from that helo into the hangar to set up in an HC-11 CH-46D to talk to the kids (and more than a few adults). HC-3 was followed by a tour at ASWINGPAC, then again at HC-3 for Department Head after that. He went to HC-16 in 1983 for training in the UH-1N Twin Huey on the way to the USS Tarawa LHA-1 ported in Long Beach, CA. During that tour, he was an extra in the mini-series “Winds of War” which used the Tarawa and Peleliu LHA 5. His next tour was with the National Emergency Airborne Command Post in Omaha on the Presidential Command and Control Aircraft. He then went to the Naval War College before going to TACRON 11 for an XO/CO tour in 1988 which was followed by an XO tour at Schriever Air Force Base near Colorado Springs. Finally, he did a Navy liaison tour for Aero & Defense companies before retirement in 1994. He worked for Raytheon after retirement. Big Willy liked dogs and had an Irish Setter named Stanley and later Labradors. As a Naval Officer and Aviator, he always let everyone do their jobs and never micromanaged. If he knew you, he always remembered what your job was, who was in your family, what you had done before and would call or email you if he heard something in the news that affected you or had been part of your career. Occasionally, he would make it a point to visit your family if he were on the road with business or on vacation. He always took the time to know and encourage the people who worked for him. He considered his squadron mates as his extended family and his mom and dad were part of it. He was a little rough around the edges and gruff at times but only in the best of ways and with a great sense of humor. He would never pass up an opportunity to “pull your chain” and joke around while still being able to be a serious leader. He was the key factor in pulling all the Packrats (members of HC-3) together, which he would try to do every year. Willy had a heart of gold, as big as the outdoors. He could sing like no one else in the shower and threw the best parties. After retiring, Bill enjoyed spending time with his daughter, traveling to the beach, spending time with friends, hunting, and being with his Labradors. He was preceded in death by his parents William and Dorothy. He is survived by his daughter, Samantha Seffers of Wellington, Colorado, his sister Joan Steins of Garden City, New York, and many beloved friends who considered him family. Big Willy affected us all, some more than others, but he always managed to touch you and make an impression. Fly high Willy, you will be greatly missed by all.

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