In episode 76 of the Aerospace Advantage, Building Next Gen CSAR: HH-60W, host John “Slick” Baum talks to Sikorsky team members involved with developing and producing the next generation HH-60W combat search and rescue helicopter. The Air Force operates aircraft for decades, so introducing a new type is a big deal and it involves a lot of different nuances and processes we don’t always think about. Now some might ask—what’s the big deal? This is just another Blackhawk variant. And while that’s technically true at a big picture level, the reality is that this aircraft, its mission systems, and its performance are fundamentally different than the older types it’s replacing, the HH-60Gs. In fact, it’s so evolved that the Air Force competed this as a new acquisition effort and is putting the helicopter through a series of tests reserved for new types entering the operational world. This isn’t just another mission. Combat search and rescue is a moral imperative.

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