'Wild Cards" Deploy with USS Peleliu

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Eva-Marie Ramsaran, Navy Public Affairs Support Element West

May 24, 2010 - SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- Sailors assigned to the "Wild Cards" of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23, Detachment 5 departed for a regularly scheduled deployment aboard amphibious assault ship USS Peleliu (LHA 5) May 22.

The Wild Cards' maintainers and aircrew have been working around-the-clock for months to implement a new helicopter weapons system package in their MH-60S Knighthawk helicopters.

"Both the aircrews and maintainers had to work extremely hard to learn how to use and upkeep the new system," said Lt. j.g. Stephen Whiteway, HSC-23 pilot. "It is a true testament to the skill and stamina of our Sailors that they were able to prepare the helos in such a short timeframe."

Other squadrons have made this transition with a year or more of preparation. Det. 5 had less than six months from receipt of the new aircraft until they were scheduled to get underway to have the arming completed.

According to Whiteway, the armed helo weapons system is designed to provide anti-surface warfare capability for the MH-60S. The system includes a targeting system that provides a long-range detection capability in both visible light and infrared.

Prior to the installation, the Knighthawk's sole purpose was to transport cargo and personnel and perform search and rescue missions with limited defense capabilities. With the new weapons system they are able to work in an offensive strike and a force protection role.

The new capabilities of the aircraft include eight Hellfire air-to-ground (AGM)-114 laser guided-missiles, infrared detection systems, infrared and radar countermeasures, .50 caliber machine guns mounted in the cabin doors and a tactical data exchange network known as Link 16.

Link 16 is an important part of the squadron's new mission because it allows them to transmit and receive real-time information from any other ship or aircraft in the fleet, greatly increasing awareness of their surroundings and making them an integral part of any fleet protection activities.

"This will be the first time that an amphib ship will have Navy helicopters with these capabilities deployed aboard," said Whiteway. "The new weapons and sensor systems will be a huge help to the [Amphibious Ready Group] as is it conducts various missions during the deployment including counterpiracy and counterterrorism operations."

"This integration will establish a precedence of Navy and Marine Corps cooperation in the future and fulfill such missions as visit, board, search and seizure," said Lt. Diego Lucero, a HSC 23 pilot. "Det. 5 will be the first HSC expeditionary squadron on the West Coast to break new ground of this concept aboard Peleliu."