News

Pave Hawk rescue mission revealed

June 30, 2009

The United States Air Force (USAF) has revealed more details about a long-range Search and Rescue mission it conducted last week.

As previously reported on Rotorhub.com, two HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopters of the 56th Rescue Squadron at RAF Lakenheath were dispatched to a position in the Atlantic Ocean some 700 miles off the West Coast of Scotland to pick up a sailor from the container ship 'Pascha' who had been complaining of abdominal pains.

The distances involved made it impossible for traditional sea rescue operations to reach, so the UK's Rescue Coordination Center requested the assistance of the US assets based in Suffolk.

To get the helicopters there, an USAF MC-130P Combat Shadow helicopter in-flight refuelling aircraft was sent along with a KC-135 tanker to refuel the MC-130. An RAF Nimrod provided top cover.

Once picked up, the man was flown to Shannon on the West Coast of Ireland.
The helicopters weren't able to carry enough fuel to reach the ship and return to land, and the MC-130P couldn't carry the fuel required to top off the helos as often as needed and make it back to base.

The KC-135 provided fuel to the MC-130P as needed, staying airborne for more than nine hours to ensure the safe, successful completion of the rescue operation.

 "A lot of planners, both in the Special Operations Group and in the Air Refuelling Wing, put in a lot of time overnight - I don't think they went home at all - to come up with a plan," said Capt. Steve Harler, 351st Air Refueling Squadron aircraft commander. "We flew their plan and everything went flawlessly."

"The helos couldn't have done it without the SOG refueler, the SOG refueler couldn't have done it without our gas, and I'm not sure any of us would have been able to find the ship out there without the help of the British Nimrod."

General Brady, Commander US Air Forces Europe, said, "the two recent rescues at long range over water are indisputable evidence of the necessity for forward-based US forces.
 
"We have combat-proven forces that are here, ready today, and the strong, ongoing relationships with our allies and other partners to accomplish missions that would otherwise not be possible. That is what the EUCOM, NATO and Partnerhship for Peace team is all about."

This is the second civilian search and rescue operation that has required the assistance of the United States Air Force in six months. In December 2008, Burmese sailor, Ko Ko Khine was winched from the cargo ship Anna Rickmers off Ireland and flown to Shannon after a 10 hour mission.

A video about the June 26 mission can be found here.

By Tony Osborne - Rotorhub.com Editorial Team