Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 41 (HSM-41) Seahawks is a United States Navy helicopter squadron based at
NAS 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 (NB ...
,
San Diego, California
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...
.
History
Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 41 (HSM 41) is the Navy's
Fleet Replacement Squadron dedicated to training new
MH-60R
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 ...
pilots and aircrew. When commissioned on 21 January 1983, as Helicopter Anti-Submarine Light 41 (HSL-41) it was the Navy's first Light Airborne Multi-Purpose System (LAMPS) MK III squadron and flew the Sikorsky
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 ...
helicopter. HSL-41 trained pilots and aircrew for the west coast HSL squadrons in San Diego, Hawaii, and Japan.
The success of West Coast LAMPS detachments in the
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
,
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by th ...
, and
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Persis, Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a Mediterranean sea (oceanography), me ...
is a tribute to the quality of initial and follow-on training that has been the hallmark of HSM 41. As a result, the squadron was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation in 1985, 1988, 1991 and 2002.
On 8 December 2006, HSL-41 was re designated from Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light 41 to Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 41. In February 2008, HSM 41 surpassed 140,000 flight hours without a major aircraft incident and celebrated its 25th anniversary. Since 1983, HSM 41 has trained over 3,000 Fleet Replacement Pilots and Aircrew for service in LAMPS MK III and MH-60R fleet squadrons. In 2020, the squadron reached 230,000 flight hours without a major incident.
On 14 March 2013, a helicopter belonging to the squadron made an emergency landing in
Chula Vista
Chula Vista (; ) is the second-largest city in the San Diego metropolitan area, the seventh largest city in Southern California, the fifteenth largest city in the state of California, and the 78th-largest city in the United States. The popul ...
.
See also
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History of the United States Navy
The history of the United States Navy divides into two major periods: the "Old Navy", a small but respected force of sailing ships that was notable for innovation in the use of ironclads during the American Civil War, and the "New Navy" the ...
*
List of United States Navy aircraft squadrons
This is a list of active United States Navy aircraft squadrons. ''Deactivated'' or ''disestablished'' squadrons are listed in the List of inactive United States Navy aircraft squadrons.
Navy aircraft squadron (aviation), squadrons are composed of ...
References
External links
HSM-41 website
Helicopter maritime strike squadrons of the United States Navy
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