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.
Credits:
Host: Lt Col (Ret.) John “Slick” Baum, Senior Fellow, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
Producer: Daniel C. Rice
Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey
Guest: Doug Birkey, Executive Director, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
Guest: Steven Hill, Program Director for Combat Rescue Helicopter, Sikorsky
Guest: David “Rum” Morgan, Director for Air Force Business Development, Sikorsky
Guest: James Brant, Director for Assembly and Flight Operations, Sikorsky
Links Related to This Event
Host

Credits
Producer
Daniel C. Rice
Executive Producer
Douglas Birkey