Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron Seven Seven (HSM-77) "Saberhawks" is a

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

helicopter squadron based at Naval Air Facility,

Atsugi is a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 223,960 and a population density of 2400 persons per km². The total area of the city is . While the name "Atsugi" is often associated with the United ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. HSM-77 is attached to

Carrier Air Wing Five Carrier Air Wing Five (CVW-5) is a United States Navy aircraft carrier air wing based at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni. The air wing is attached to the aircraft carrier . It was initially formed in 1943. It has participated in the Second Wor ...

and deploys aboard and air capable ships attached to

Carrier Strike Group Five Carrier Strike Group 5, also known as CSG 5 or CARSTRKGRU 5, is the U.S. Navy carrier strike group assigned to the United States Pacific Fleet and permanently forward deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet. CSG 5 is responsible for unit-level training ...

(CSG-5). The squadron was established as Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron (Light) Forty Seven (HSL-47) on 25 September 1987 and was redesignated HSM-77 on 2 Apr 2009. HSL-47_insignia

Mission

The squadron's primary mission is to employ the versatility of the MH-60R helicopter to support the battle group commander's objectives, with emphasis on Surface Warfare (SUW) and

Anti-Submarine Warfare Anti-submarine warfare (ASW, or in older form A/S) is a branch of underwater warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, submarines, or other platforms, to find, track, and deter, damage, or destroy enemy submarines. Such operations are t ...

(ASW). Secondary missions include

Search and Rescue Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...

(SAR),

Vertical Replenishment Vertical replenishment, or VERTREP, is a method of supply of seaborne vessels by helicopter. The United States Department of Defense defines VERTREP as: ...the transfer of cargo between ships using helicopters. VERTREP is often used to supplement ...

(VERTREP),

Medical Evacuation Medical evacuation, often shortened to medevac or medivac, is the timely and efficient movement and en route care provided by medical personnel to wounded being evacuated from a battlefield, to injured patients being evacuated from the scene of a ...

(MEDEVAC), Naval Surface Fire Support (NSFS), and Communications Relay (COMREL). The

Saberhawks Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron Seven Seven (HSM-77) "Saberhawks" is a United States Navy helicopter squadron based at Naval Air Facility, Atsugi, Japan. HSM-77 is attached to Carrier Air Wing Five and deploys aboard and air capable ships at ...

HSM-77 Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron Seven Seven (HSM-77) "Saberhawks" is a United States Navy helicopter squadron based at Naval Air Facility, Atsugi, Japan. HSM-77 is attached to Carrier Air Wing Five and deploys aboard and air capable ships at ...

fly the newest aircraft in the U.S. Navy fleet, the

MH-60R Seahawk The Sikorsky SH-60/MH-60 Seahawk (or Sea Hawk) is a twin turboshaft engine, multi-mission United States Navy helicopter based on the United States Army UH-60 Black Hawk and a member of the Sikorsky S-70 family. The most significant modificatio ...

helicopter, which elevates tactical maritime mission capability to a new level, far surpassing previous fleet capability. With its state-of-the-art avionics, mission systems, and cockpit, the MH-60R is the world's most capable Naval helicopter. The aircraft features a glass cockpit and significant mission system improvements over the

SH-60B The Sikorsky SH-60/MH-60 Seahawk (or Sea Hawk) is a twin turboshaft engine, multi-mission United States Navy helicopter based on the United States Army UH-60 Black Hawk and a member of the Sikorsky S-70 family. The most significant modificatio ...

, which give the MH-60R unmatched capability as an airborne multi-mission Naval platform. The MH-60R is tasked with performing Anti-Submarine Warfare, Surface Warfare, Over-the-Horizon Targeting (OTH-T) on board aircraft carriers and Navy surface combatant ships.

History

Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron SEVEN SEVEN "Saberhawks" began its illustrious history as Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light FOUR SEVEN (HSL-47). Established on 25 September 1987 at NAS North Island, the Saberhawks of HSL-47 employed the

helicopter. Since its inception, the Saberhawks have been at the forefront of helicopter operations in the Pacific Fleet. In 1991, HSL-47 deployed five detachments in support of Operations

Desert Shield The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a Coalition of the Gulf War, 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Ba'athist Iraq, ...

and

Desert Storm The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...

, and flew over 2,000 combat, combat support and contingency hours. The Saberhawks also played an integral role in Operation Southern Watch, providing seventeen detachments from 1992–2005. In 1992, Detachment TWO rendered the first assistance to Somali citizens during

Operation Restore Hope The Unified Task Force (UNITAF) was a United States-led, United Nations-sanctioned multinational force which operated in Somalia from 5 December 1992 until 4 May 1993. A United States initiative (code-named Operation Restore Hope), U ...

. HSL-47 deployed the first SH-60B (Armed Helo) detachment (Detachment 4) on an aircraft carrier, , in 2001 and 2002-2003 (Operation Iraqi Freedom). Detachment 4 paved the way for HSL-47 to become the first HSL Squadron to become an integrated part of the Carrier Air Wing. The Squadron joined the Broadswords of Carrier Air Wing TWO (

CVW-2 Carrier Air Wing Two (CVW-2) is a United States Navy aircraft carrier air wing based at Naval Air Station Lemoore. The air wing is attached to the aircraft carrier . Subordinate units CVW-2 consists of 9 Squadrons History 1940s-50s Origi ...

) on 1 April 2004, bringing eight SH-60B helicopters for their first deployment. Under the Navy's Helo CONOPS "Bravo to Sea (

B2C Direct-to-consumer (DTC) or business-to-consumer (B2C) is the business model of selling products directly to customers and thereby bypassing any third-party retailers, wholesalers, or any other middlemen. Direct-to-consumer sales are usually tr ...

)" initiative, HSL-47 led the

LAMPS Lamp, Lamps or LAMP may refer to: Lighting * Oil lamp, using an oil-based fuel source * Kerosene lamp, using kerosene as a fuel * Electric lamp, or light bulb, a replaceable component that produces light from electricity * Light fixture, or ligh ...

Community's transition from traditional SH-60B expeditionary operations, to carrier based MH-60R operations. During its 2004–2005 deployment, HSL-47 became the first

helicopter squadron deployed in its entirety on board an aircraft carrier, , with the squadron providing LAMPS detachments to the other ships within Carrier Strike Group Nine. HSL-47 detachments operated two helicopters from the guided-missile cruiser as well as two from the guided-missile destroyer . Following the devastating tsunami in the Indian Ocean on 26 December 2004, HSL-47 and the ''Abraham Lincoln'' Carrier Strike Group sped to assist the Indonesian island of

Sumatra Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 (182,812 mi.2), not including adjacent i ...

. Arriving on December 31, the Saberhawks flew a total of 1,223 hours, distributing 404,647 lbs of food, 190,246 lbs of water and supplies, and conducting seventy medical evacuations. Prior to their 2006 deployment, HSL-47 took part in their first Air Wing Fallon in 2005, and also flew mission in response to

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...

. In support of Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, HSL-47, conducted 173 rescues and delivered 76,000 pounds of food, water, and medical supplies over nineteen days. For its 2006 Deployment, two SH-60B Seahawk aviation repairable pack-up kits, including four aviation consumable Vidmar cabinets, were transferred from

Naval Air Station North Island Naval Air Station North Island or NAS North Island , at the north end of the Coronado peninsula on San Diego Bay in San Diego, California, is part of the largest aerospace-industrial complex in the United States Navy – Naval Base Coronado (N ...

, California, to the carrier ''Abraham Lincoln''. This equipment was required to support the second deployment on board ''Abraham Lincoln'' of the SH-60B-To-Carrier Pilot program that assigned the carrier to direct support of squadron HSL-47, a full squadron of SH-60B Seahawk helicopters that would be dispersed throughout the carrier strike group. On 15 April 2006, HSL-47 helicopters and the guided-missile destroyer provided aid to a fishing vessel in distress while operating in the

South China Sea The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by the shores of South China (hence the name), in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan and northwestern Phil ...

. Following the completion of its 2006 deployment, the two SH-60B Seahawk aviation repairable pack-up kits, including four aviation consumable Vidmar cabinets, were returned to Naval Air Station North Island. On April 2, 2009, HSL-47 transitioned to Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron SEVEN SEVEN. The Saberhawks were attached to

and the ''Abraham Lincoln'' Strike Group and deployed for the first time with the MH-60R. On 14 May 2012, during its 2012 deployment, HSM-77 Detachment Five completed its temporary operational rotation on board the British

replenishment oiler A replenishment oiler or replenishment tanker is a naval auxiliary ship with fuel tanks and dry cargo holds which can supply both fuel and dry stores during underway replenishment (UNREP) at sea. Many countries have used replenishment oilers. The ...

which was serving as the

flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically the fi ...

for

Combined Task Force 151 Combined Task Force 151 (CTF-151) is a multinational naval task force, set up in 2009 as a response to piracy attacks in the Gulf of Aden and off the eastern coast of Somalia. Its mission is to disrupt piracy and armed robbery at sea and to enga ...

. This was the first time that a MH-60R helicopter had ever operated from a

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

ship. The detachment's helicopters primarily concentrated on anti-piracy surveillance missions during this two-week period. In early 2013, the squadron executed a homeport change from NAS North Island, California to NAF Atsugi, Japan, to join the Carrier Strike Group and

Carrier Air Wing 5 Carrier Air Wing Five (CVW-5) is a United States Navy aircraft carrier air wing based at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni. The air wing is attached to the aircraft carrier . It was initially formed in 1943. It has participated in the Second Wor ...

(CVW-5). Four months after settling into Japan, the squadron took part in two SEVENTH Fleet patrols on board ''George Washington'' and . The patrols allowed the Saberhawks to prove their capabilities during numerous multinational training exercises including Talisman Saber 2013, Maritime Counter Special Operations Forces exercises, and Annualex. Additionally, the Saberhawks participated in Operation Damayan, providing Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief in response to Super Typhoon Haiyan. During the eight-day operation, the Saberhawks safely flew six aircraft from sunrise to sunset for a total of 75 sorties and 392 mishap-free flight hours. The squadron delivered 183,920 pounds of food, 6,417 gallons of water, 2,000 pounds of medical supplies, and safely transported 59 refugees and six medevacs. As of August 2015, the squadron operates aboard Carrier Strike Group as a member of

(CVW-5) in support of Forward Deployed Naval Forces Japan.

Command history

Squadron aircraft

SH-60 The Sikorsky SH-60/MH-60 Seahawk (or Sea Hawk) is a twin turboshaft engine, multi-mission United States Navy helicopter based on the United States Army UH-60 Black Hawk and a member of the Sikorsky S-70 family. The most significant modificatio ...

Seahawk *

, 1987–2009 * MH-60R, 2009–Present (redesignated HSM-77 on 2 April 2009)

Squadron awards

*2001 – Battle "E" *2005 – Humanitarian Service Medal *2007 – Battle "E" *2008 – Battle "E" *2010 – Battle "E" *2011 – Battle "E" *2011 – COMPACFLT Retention Excellence Award *2011 – Blue "H" Award *2011 – Blue "M" Award *2011 – CNO Aviation Safety Award *2011 – COMHSMWINGPAC/Sikorsky "Golden Wrench" Maintenance Excellence Award *2011 – Captain Arnold Jay Isbell Trophy *2012 – Secretary of the Navy Safety Excellence Award *2012 – COMHSMWINGPAC/Sikorsky "Golden "Wrench" Maintenance Excellence Award *2012 – Secretary of Defense Phoenix Trophy *2012 – Battle "E" *2012 – COMNAVAIRFOR Admiral J.S. "Jimmy" Thach Award *2014 – COMPACFLT Retention Excellence Award *2014 – Battle "E" *2015 – COMPACFLT Retention Excellence Award *2015 – Meritorious Unit Commendation *2015 – Humanitarian Service Medal *2018 – Secretary of the Navy Safety Excellence Award *2021 - Secretary of Defense Phoenix Trophy

Ships deployed aboard

* * * *USS ''USS Constellation (''CV-64) * RFA ''Fort Victoria'' (A387) * * * * * * * * * * * *

Gallery

Image:2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake relief3.jpg, HSL-47 launches off USS ''Abraham Lincoln'' to provide disaster relief in Sumatra Image:HSL-47 Flyoff.jpg, HSL-47 ready to flyoff from home to support Abraham Lincoln Strike Group operations Image:HSL-47 Flares.jpg, An SH-60B deploys its flares while evasively maneuvering Image:HSL-47 Short Final.JPG, An SH-60B approaches the deck of the USS ''Curts'' for recovery following a mission supporting OIF Image:HSL-47 Alert.JPG, An SH-60B on alert strapped and ready to support OIF Operations on USS ''Curts''

References

External links

Official HSM-77 website

Official HSM-77 webpage

Official US Navy webpage
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hsm-77 Military units and formations in California Helicopter maritime strike squadrons of the United States Navy