In 1979, it was selected as the new short-range recovery (SRR) air-sea rescue helicopter, replacing the Sikorsky HH-52A Sea Guard. Delivery began in 1984. The MH-65 normally carries a crew of four: pilot, co-pilot, flight mechanic and rescue swimmer.
The Dolphin boasts a Fenestron antitorque tail rotor. It is certified for operation in all weather and nighttime operations, with the exception of icing conditions. The MH-65 is the primary Coast Guard aircraft used aboard certified cutters during deployments. In 2007, the MH-65 began replacing the old turboshafts with twin 853 hp Arriel 2C/2C2 engines. The MH-65 saves 40 percent in fuel while offering more power. It provides a cruise speed of 148 knots and a range of up to 350 nautical miles. Onboard armament includes a single 7.62 mm machine gun, a 7.62 mm rifle, and a .50-caliber rifle, aka "shoulder-fired precision weapon," for disabling the engines of smugglers' or traffickers' boats.
The latest upgrade underway to the Echo variant bears the name MH-65E and extends the life of the MH-65 into the 2030s while bringing it into compliance with a larger of Defense Department initiative called the Future Vertical Lift Program. The upgrade gives the MH-65E a glass cockpit with touchscreens, allowing pilots to manage the wide inventory of functions and switch between them instantly. According to pilots now flying it, the Echo version offers more precise navigation and increased fuel savings, and allows them call up or manage info and systems while keeping a hand on the aircraft controls. The Echo upgrade also has a digital weather radar installed. The avionics u...
The Dolphin boasts a Fenestron antitorque tail rotor. It is certified for operation in all weather and nighttime operations, with the exception of icing conditions. The MH-65 is the primary Coast Guard aircraft used aboard certified cutters during deployments. In 2007, the MH-65 began replacing the old turboshafts with twin 853 hp Arriel 2C/2C2 engines. The MH-65 saves 40 percent in fuel while offering more power. It provides a cruise speed of 148 knots and a range of up to 350 nautical miles. Onboard armament includes a single 7.62 mm machine gun, a 7.62 mm rifle, and a .50-caliber rifle, aka "shoulder-fired precision weapon," for disabling the engines of smugglers' or traffickers' boats.
The latest upgrade underway to the Echo variant bears the name MH-65E and extends the life of the MH-65 into the 2030s while bringing it into compliance with a larger of Defense Department initiative called the Future Vertical Lift Program. The upgrade gives the MH-65E a glass cockpit with touchscreens, allowing pilots to manage the wide inventory of functions and switch between them instantly. According to pilots now flying it, the Echo version offers more precise navigation and increased fuel savings, and allows them call up or manage info and systems while keeping a hand on the aircraft controls. The Echo upgrade also has a digital weather radar installed. The avionics u...
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Boating (Digital) - 1 Issue, May 2023