Naval Air Station Whidbey Island (NASWI) Search and Rescue (SAR) as you have never seen it before.

Tasked to be the first responder for the aircraft and personnel stationed at NAS Whidbey Island, Washington, and to support Washington State agencies in case of emergencies, medical evacuations and search and rescue activities, NAS Whidbey Island SAR  is a one of a kind rescue unit, equipped with the MH-60S “Knighthawk” helicopters.

The team, consisting of three helicopters, 10 pilots, 10 rescue aircrewmen and 3 SAR Medical Technicians (SMT’s) is “the premier in Navy Search and Rescue:” personnel of NASWI are highly trained in day and night both overwater and mountain rescue including helicopter rappel and hoist, and mountain landing.

For SAR missions, the unit typically maintains either a 15-minute or a 30-minute alert posture.

This video, provides an insight into what NASWI SAR does, bringing you aboard MH-60S during land, sea and mountain operations.

H/T David J. Ljung for the heads-up

Related articles

• Stunning images of U.S. Marine Corps EA-6B Prowler jets flying at dusk
• Low level flying, Winching and Special OPS support: fly with the MH-60S Knighthawks of HSC-4
• Rare video exposes U.S. Special Operations helicopters at work in north Iraq
• First black-colored HH-101A Caesar special ops helicopter presented by the Italian Air Force
• This cool photo reminds Apocalypse Now’s helicopter attack with Ride of the Valkyries
• The story of the mission to rescue an F-14 Tomcat pilot behind the enemy lines in Iraq
• Video shows Colombian Army Black Hawk helicopter exploding after landing in a minefield

On May 3, 2011, in the aftermath of the Osama Bin Laden raid that disclosed the existence of a stealth helicopter based on the UH-60 “Black Hawk”, I’ve started thinking about the secret chopper used to carry the Navy SEALs to Abbottabad. Which noise reduction technologies does the chopper embed? Which upgrades render it radar-evading?  The answer to these questions can be found in the digital mock up of the Stealth Black Hawk that has become so widely known in books, documentaries and videogames to be considered “almost official” rather than fictional.

Unfortunately, even if since May I’ve received hundred alternative sketches and comments about the stealth helicopter (known also as “Silent Hawk” or MH-X, with the latter being a fake designation) and I’ve also learned of a low cost stealth retrofit for obsolete choppers, I’ve never had any evidence that the shape that I’ve hypothesized with Ugo Crisponi is really anywhere near the actual one.

Hence, I’m particularly glad to publish a rendering of an existing somehow rare weapon system based on the MH-60S helicopter, designated “Armed Helo” (and not Knighthawk or Seahawk as sometimes referred to), officially cleared for publication by the U.S. Navy. Therefore an exact copy of the MH-60S BuNo.167818  armed with 8 AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, 2 cal. 50 and 2 FN machine guns.

The Armed Helo Mission Kit, provides the base MH-60S with the capability to extend the HH-60H Seahawk’s typical Combat Search and Rescue/Personnel Recovery (CSAR/PR) role with Special Warfare Support (SOF), Maritime Interdiction Operations (MIO), Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Operations (ISR), and Anti-Surface Warfare (ASUW) missions.

The one depicted in the rendering is dubbed “Dark Knight” and belongs to the HSC-22 a squadron providing helicopter detachments for Littoral Combat Ships, Amphibious Ready Groups and Combat Logistic Ships, and able to perform wide variety of missions: Naval Special Warfare, Amphibious Search and Rescue, Theater Security Cooperation, Strike Coordination and Reconnaissance, Anti-Surface Warfare, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief and Utility missions in support of the Fleet and National Defense.