The Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King (company designation S-61) is an American twin-engined
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)
helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...
designed and built by
Sikorsky Aircraft
Sikorsky Aircraft is an American aircraft manufacturer based in Stratford, Connecticut. It was established by aviation pioneer Igor Sikorsky in 1923 and was among the first companies to manufacture helicopters for civilian and military use.
Pre ...
. A landmark design, it was one of the first ASW rotorcraft to use
turboshaft
A turboshaft engine is a form of gas turbine that is optimized to produce shaftpower rather than jet thrust. In concept, turboshaft engines are very similar to turbojets, with additional turbine expansion to extract heat energy from the exhaust ...
engines.
The Sea King has its origins in efforts by the
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 ...
to counter the growing threat of
Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
submarine
A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...
s during the 1950s. Accordingly, the helicopter was specifically developed to deliver a capable ASW platform; in particular, it combined the roles of ''hunter'' and ''killer'', which had previously been carried out by two separate helicopters. The Sea King was initially designated ''HSS-2'', which was intended to imply a level of commonality to the earlier
''HSS-1''; it was subsequently redesignated as the ''SH-3A'' during the early 1960s.
Introduced to service in 1961, it was operated by the United States Navy as a key ASW and utility asset for several decades prior to being replaced by the non-amphibious
Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk in the 1990s. In late 1961 and early 1962, a modified U.S. Navy HSS-2 Sea King was used to break the
FAI 3 km, 100 km, 500 km, and 1000 km helicopter speed records. The Sea King also performed various other roles and missions such as search-and-rescue, transport, anti-shipping,
medevac,
plane guard, and
airborne early warning operations.
The Sea King has also proved to be popular on the export market with foreign military customers, and has also been sold to civil operators as well. As of 2015, many examples of the type remain in service in nations around the world. The Sea King has been built under license by
Agusta
Agusta was an Italian helicopter manufacturer. It was based in Samarate, Northern Italy. The company was founded by Count Giovanni Agusta in 1923, who flew his first airplane in 1907. The MV Agusta motorcycle manufacturer began as an offshoot o ...
in Italy,
Mitsubishi
The is a group of autonomous Japanese multinational companies in a variety of industries.
Founded by Yatarō Iwasaki in 1870, the Mitsubishi Group historically descended from the Mitsubishi zaibatsu, a unified company which existed from 1870 ...
in Japan, and by
Westland in the United Kingdom as the
Westland Sea King
The Westland WS-61 Sea King is a British licence-built version of the American Sikorsky S-61 helicopter of the same name, built by Westland Helicopters. The aircraft differs considerably from the American version, with Rolls-Royce Gnome engin ...
. The major civil versions are the
S-61L and S-61N.
Development
Origins
During the
Cold War
The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
, the
Soviet Navy built up a large and varied fleet of submarines which at one point was in excess of 200 operational submarines. The US Navy countered this threat by the improvement and development of various
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) capabilities, which resulted in the development of the Sea King. During the late 1950s, the US Navy took advantage of recent aerospace advances, such as the
turboshaft
A turboshaft engine is a form of gas turbine that is optimized to produce shaftpower rather than jet thrust. In concept, turboshaft engines are very similar to turbojets, with additional turbine expansion to extract heat energy from the exhaust ...
engine, by commissioning the development of a new large naval helicopter. Sikorsky received a request from the service to design a new turbine-powered helicopter that would be capable of performing the ASW mission. The specification included a dipping
sonar
Sonar (sound navigation and ranging or sonic navigation and ranging) is a technique that uses sound propagation (usually underwater, as in submarine navigation) to navigation, navigate, measure distances (ranging), communicate with or detect o ...
, mission endurance of four hours, and the ability to support a weapons load of .
[Mutza 2010, p. 106.]
![XHSS-2 Sea King water landing trials](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/XHSS-2_Sea_King_water_landing_trials.jpg)
In 1957, Sikorsky was awarded a contract to produce an all-weather
amphibious helicopter
An amphibious helicopter is a helicopter that is intended to land on and take off from both land and water. Amphibious helicopters are used for a variety of specialized purposes including air-sea rescue, marine salvage and oceanography, in additio ...
for the US Navy. As per the earlier specification, this new rotorcraft was to excel at ASW; specifically, it would combine the roles of hunter and killer, as these two duties had previously been carried out by two separate helicopters.
[Chant 1988, p. 464.] It was also the first helicopter to be procured under the US Navy's new weapon system concept, under which Sikorsky was responsible not only for the design and production of the airframe, but all major onboard systems, such as the
sonar
Sonar (sound navigation and ranging or sonic navigation and ranging) is a technique that uses sound propagation (usually underwater, as in submarine navigation) to navigation, navigate, measure distances (ranging), communicate with or detect o ...
, navigational equipment, electronic devices, and support equipment. As such, the navigation suite for the rotorcraft was developed jointly by Sikorsky and the US Navy.
["HSS-2."](_blank)
''Flight International'', 15 May 1959. p. 696.
Key features of the emerging ASW helicopter included its
amphibious
Amphibious means able to use either land or water. In particular it may refer to:
Animals
* Amphibian, a vertebrate animal of the class Amphibia (many of which live on land and breed in water)
* Amphibious caterpillar
* Amphibious fish, a fish ...
hull
Hull may refer to:
Structures
* Chassis, of an armored fighting vehicle
* Fuselage, of an aircraft
* Hull (botany), the outer covering of seeds
* Hull (watercraft), the body or frame of a ship
* Submarine hull
Mathematics
* Affine hull, in affi ...
, which enabled the rotorcraft to readily perform water landings, and its adoption of a twin-turboshaft engine arrangement that enabled it to be larger, heavier and better-equipped than had been possible with prior helicopters.
The designation ''HSS-2'' was applied, allegedly to imply a level of commonality to the earlier
''HSS-1'', should political sentiment turn against the development of an entirely new rotorcraft.
A total of ten prototypes were produced to support the development program.
[Mutza 2010, p. 107.]
Into flight
On 11 March 1959, the first prototype conducted its
maiden flight
The maiden flight, also known as first flight, of an aircraft is the first occasion on which it leaves the ground under its own power. The same term is also used for the first launch of rockets.
The maiden flight of a new aircraft type is alwa ...
.
During early 1961, a pair of prototypes were stationed on board the
aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and facilities for carrying, arming, deploying, and recovering aircraft. Typically, it is the capital ship of a fleet, as it allows a ...
to fulfill a demand for carrier suitability trials. These trials, which involved testing the folding mechanism of the main
rotor blade
A helicopter main rotor or rotor system is the combination of several rotary wings (rotor blades) with a control system, that generates the aerodynamic lift force that supports the weight of the helicopter, and the thrust that counteracts aerody ...
s and a series of takeoffs performed during winds of up to , were completed successfully in mid-1961.
Shortly after the completion of suitability trials, the US Navy formally accepted delivery of the first HSS-2 rotorcraft, which was subsequently re-designated as the SH-3A, in September 1961.
[Frawley 2003, p. 194.]
In late 1961 and early 1962, a modified US Navy HSS-2 Sea King was used to break the FAI 3 km, 100 km, 500 km and 1000 km helicopter speed records. This series of flights culminated on 5 February 1962 with the HSS-2 setting an absolute helicopter speed record of . This record was broken by a modified French
Sud-Aviation Super Frelon
Super may refer to:
Computing
* SUPER (computer program), or Simplified Universal Player Encoder & Renderer, a video converter / player
* Super (computer science), a keyword in object-oriented programming languages
* Super key (keyboard butt ...
helicopter on 23 July 1963 with a speed of .
Further developments
![SH-3A HS-1 water landing NAN 8-64](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d3/SH-3A_HS-1_water_landing_NAN_8-64.jpg)
The base design of the Sea King had proved sound and several aspects were judged to be potentially useful for other operators, thus Sikorsky elected to pursue the further development of the rotorcraft for other markets beyond the US Navy.
One of the major variants of the Sea King to be produced was a model for civil operators, which was designated as the
Sikorsky S-61L
The Sikorsky S-61L and S-61N are civil variants of the SH-3 Sea King military helicopter. It was developed and produced by the American helicopter manufacturer Sikorsky Aircraft.
The commercial version of the Sea King was developed during the ...
. The first operator of the S-61L was
Los Angeles Airways
Los Angeles Airways (LAA) was a helicopter airline founded in October 1947 and based in Westchester, Los Angeles, Westchester, California, which offered service to area airports throughout Southern California.
History
Los Angeles Airways comme ...
, who introduced the type to service on 11 March 1962.
[Apostolo, G. "Sikorsky S-61".''The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Helicopters''. Bonanza Books, 1984. .] Another noteworthy Sea King variant, the significant change this time being the adoption of a conventional fuselage, the
Sikorsky S-61R
The Sikorsky S-61R is a twin-engine helicopter used in transport or search and rescue roles. A developed version of the S-61/SH-3 Sea King, the S-61R was also built under license by Agusta as the AS-61R. The S-61R served in the United States A ...
, was also concurrently developed for transport and
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) duties, this type being extensively operated by the
U.S. Air Force and the
U.S. Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, multi ...
.
[Apostolo, Giorgio. "Sikorsky S-61R". ''The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Helicopters''. New York: Bonanza Books. 1984. .]
In US Navy service, the initial SH-3A model of the Sea King would be progressively converted into the improved SH-3D and SH-3H variants; these featured more powerful engines and improved sensors that gave the type greater operational capabilities as an ASW platform. It was also common for Sea Kings to be converted for non-ASW activities, these roles included minesweeping, combat search and rescue, and as a cargo/passenger utility transport.
The aircrew on ASW-tasked Sea Kings were routinely trained to carry out these secondary roles as aircraft could often be quickly adapted to perform different missions in the face of operational needs.
In addition to those Sea Kings that were manufactured by Sikorsky, several
license agreement
A license (or licence) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit).
A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another party (licensee) as an element of an agreeme ...
s were enacted with other firms to produce the type. These included the Japanese conglomerate
Mitsubishi
The is a group of autonomous Japanese multinational companies in a variety of industries.
Founded by Yatarō Iwasaki in 1870, the Mitsubishi Group historically descended from the Mitsubishi zaibatsu, a unified company which existed from 1870 ...
and the Italian aerospace company
Agusta
Agusta was an Italian helicopter manufacturer. It was based in Samarate, Northern Italy. The company was founded by Count Giovanni Agusta in 1923, who flew his first airplane in 1907. The MV Agusta motorcycle manufacturer began as an offshoot o ...
. Another licensee was the British helicopter manufacturer
Westland Helicopters
Westland Helicopters was a British aircraft manufacturer. Originally Westland Aircraft, the company focused on helicopters after the Second World War. It was amalgamated with several other British firms in 1960 and 1961.
In 2000, it merged w ...
, which substantially redesigned the Sea King to produce various models of their own, collectively referred to as the
Westland Sea King
The Westland WS-61 Sea King is a British licence-built version of the American Sikorsky S-61 helicopter of the same name, built by Westland Helicopters. The aircraft differs considerably from the American version, with Rolls-Royce Gnome engin ...
.
[McGowen 2005, p. 119.] In contrast to the US Navy's Sea Kings, the Westland Sea King was intended for greater operational autonomy.
[Lake 1996, pp. 114–115.] In total, Westland produced 330 Sea Kings; outside of its British-based operators, various export customers were found for the Westland Sea King. including the
Indian Naval Air Arm
The Indian Naval Air Arm is the aviation branch and a fighting arm of the Indian Navy which is tasked to provide an aircraft carrier based strike capability, fleet air defence, maritime reconnaissance, and anti-submarine warfare.
The Flag Off ...
, the
German Navy, the
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the principal naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister of ...
, and the
Royal Norwegian Air Force.
While Sikorsky opted to terminate its own Sea King production line during the 1970s, the type has had a lengthy service life. In September 2009, it was reported that nearly 600 Sea Kings were believed to still be operational.
Design
The Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King is a twin-engine medium-sized amphibious rotorcraft. Many of the features on board the Sea King represented a considerable advancement over preceding helicopters. In addition to being fully amphibious and capable of operating under all weather conditions, it is the first operational American helicopter to be able to simultaneously hunt and destroy submarines.
Its twin-
turboshaft
A turboshaft engine is a form of gas turbine that is optimized to produce shaftpower rather than jet thrust. In concept, turboshaft engines are very similar to turbojets, with additional turbine expansion to extract heat energy from the exhaust ...
powerplant layout gave the SH-3 a higher payload and greater reliability than previous anti-submarine helicopters.
In the event of a single engine failing, the Sea King could continue flying on a single engine. The powerplant used on the Sea King was the
General Electric T58-GE-8B, which was initially capable of generating up to each.
![SH-3H sonar HS-8 CV-64 1989](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/SH-3H_sonar_HS-8_CV-64_1989.jpg)
In normal operations, the Sea King typically would have a four-man crew on board; these being a pilot and copilot in the cockpit, and two aircrew stationed within the main cabin area. When conducting anti-submarine missions, the rear aircrew operated the aircraft's sensors and interpreted the generated data. For search-and-rescue missions, the Sea King's cabin could accommodate up to 22 survivors. In a medical layout, a maximum of nine stretchers plus two medical officers could be carried. In the troop transport role, up to 28 soldiers can be accommodated.
["HSS-2."](_blank)
''Flight International'', 15 May 1959. p. 697.
The Sea King features many design elements to support naval-orientated operations. The main rotor blades and the tail section can be folded via fully automated systems for storage onboard ships.
The adoption of an
amphibious
Amphibious means able to use either land or water. In particular it may refer to:
Animals
* Amphibian, a vertebrate animal of the class Amphibia (many of which live on land and breed in water)
* Amphibious caterpillar
* Amphibious fish, a fish ...
hull
Hull may refer to:
Structures
* Chassis, of an armored fighting vehicle
* Fuselage, of an aircraft
* Hull (botany), the outer covering of seeds
* Hull (watercraft), the body or frame of a ship
* Submarine hull
Mathematics
* Affine hull, in affi ...
allowed a Sea King to conduct a water landing and, being completely watertight, would enable the rotorcraft to remaining floating for prolonged periods on the ocean's surface. Deployable airbags in the aircraft's
sponson
Sponsons are projections extending from the sides of land vehicles, aircraft or watercraft to provide protection, stability, storage locations, mounting points for weapons or other devices, or equipment housing.
Watercraft
On watercraft, a spon ...
s added to the rotorcraft's stability and buoyancy, resisting pitching and rolling.
[Jackson 2005, p. 207.] The hull design was compatible with landing on challenging terrain, including ice, snow, swamp land, and tundra.
Wheels are installed in the sponsons for land operations.
The armament fitted upon a Sea King could vary considerably. For anti-submarine missions, the aircraft could carry up to four torpedoes or four depth charges. For anti-ship duties, some models were outfitted to carry one or two missiles, typically
Sea Eagle
A sea eagle or fish eagle (also called erne or ern, mostly in reference to the white-tailed eagle) is any of the birds of prey in the genus ''Haliaeetus'' in the bird of prey family Accipitridae.
Taxonomy and evolution
The genus ''Haliaeetus'' ...
s or
Exocets. The Sea King could also be fitted to deploy the
B57 nuclear bomb
The B57 nuclear bomb was a tactical nuclear weapon developed by the United States during the Cold War.
Entering production in 1963 as the Mk 57, the bomb was designed to be dropped from high-speed tactical aircraft. It had a streamlined casing ...
. ASW equipment used on Sea Kings has included the
AQS-13
The AN/AQS-13 series was a helicopter dipping sonar system for the United States Navy. These systems were deployed as the primary inner zone anti-submarine warfare (ASW) sensor on aircraft carrier based helicopters for over five decades. Companio ...
A/B/E dipping
sonar
Sonar (sound navigation and ranging or sonic navigation and ranging) is a technique that uses sound propagation (usually underwater, as in submarine navigation) to navigation, navigate, measure distances (ranging), communicate with or detect o ...
which included specialized computers for processing sonar and sonobuoy data, various models of
sonobuoy
A sonobuoy (a portmanteau of sonar and buoy) is a relatively small buoy – typically diameter and long – expendable sonar system that is dropped/ejected from aircraft or ships conducting anti-submarine warfare or underwater acoustic resea ...
s, ARR-75 Sonobuoy Receivers, and the ASQ-81
magnetic anomaly detector
A magnetic anomaly detector (MAD) is an instrument used to detect minute variations in the Earth's magnetic field. The term refers specifically to magnetometers used by military forces to detect submarines (a mass of ferromagnetic material crea ...
. The commonly fitted AKT-22
data link enabled the rapid dissemination of sonar information to other friendly elements. Some later Sea King models featured the TACNAV digital navigation system (first generation GPS) and overhauled cockpit instrumentation for
night vision
Night vision is the ability to see in low-light conditions, either naturally with scotopic vision or through a night-vision device. Night vision requires both sufficient spectral range and sufficient intensity range. Humans have poor night vi ...
compatibility.
Operational history
![US Navy 031029-N-5067K-031 Several UH-3H Sea King helicopters depart Montgomery Field](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2d/US_Navy_031029-N-5067K-031_Several_UH-3H_Sea_King_helicopters_depart_Montgomery_Field.jpg)
During June 1961, the Sea King became operational with the US Navy as the ''HSS-2''; at the time, it was not only the largest amphibious helicopter in the world, but was also the first all-weather rotorcraft to reach production status for the US Navy.
When the unified aircraft designation system was introduced, the rotorcraft's designation wa changed to SH-3A. It was used primarily for
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 ...
: the largely involved the detection and tracking of Soviet submarines. In the event of open warfare breaking out between the two powers, Sea Kings would have been used to attack these submarines with the intent to sink them.
The Sea King was able to operate from the flight decks of many of the US Navy's vessels as well as shore bases. It could also operate from offshore platforms to extend their surveillance and strike ranges. The type was capable of conducting nighttime ASW operations, albeit these usually posed considerable difficulty for the flight crew.
The Sea King also performed various other roles and missions such as search-and-rescue, transport, anti-shipping and
airborne early warning operations.
Aircraft carriers would typically deploy Sea Kings to operate near the carrier as a
plane guard, ready to rescue air crew who crashed during takeoff or landing. They were routinely used in a logistical capacity at sea, transferring personnel, mail, and other lighter cargoes between vessels.
[Dorsey, Jack]
"Navy bids farewell to Sea King helicopter."
''Pilot Online'', 28 January 2006.
The
Royal Canadian Navy
The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; french: Marine royale canadienne, ''MRC'') is the Navy, naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2021, the RCN operates 12 frigates, four attack s ...
(RCN) became a major operator of the Sea King (see
Sikorsky CH-124 Sea King
The Sikorsky CH-124 Sea King is a twin-engined anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter designed for shipboard use by Canadian naval forces, based on the US Navy's SH-3. It served with the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and Canadian Armed Forces fr ...
) following its introduction to service in 1963. It remained Canada's dominant maritime helicopter for over 50 years, finally being withdrawn in 2018.
[Gordon, Lisa]
"The King at sea"
''Vertical Magazine'', 9 December 2013. Accessed: 11 December 2013. One notable innovation in Canadian operations, which was subsequently adopted by several other nations, was the use of a winch 'hauldown' landing and securing method, referred to as a '
Beartrap'. This device considerably increased the ability of Sea Kings to land in difficult conditions, such as on small flight decks or during poor weather conditions.
[
The Sea King was exported in large numbers to various nations, such as ]Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
, Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
, 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 ...
and the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
. Several operators have kept their Sea Kings in use for more than 50 years.
During the Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
, SH-3s rescued the crews of downed aircraft at sea and over land, typically being equipped with self-sealing fuel tanks, multiple machine guns and heavy armor when performing such missions. Due to the type's greater range and the safety of having two engines, it was often used during rescue sorties into North Vietnam to retrieve downed aircrew. The Sea King was also used for medical evacuations and disaster relief efforts.
The SH-3 was the primary helicopter for retrieving manned space capsule
A space capsule is an often-crewed spacecraft that uses a blunt-body reentry capsule to reenter the Earth's atmosphere without wings. Capsules are distinguished from other satellites primarily by the ability to survive reentry and return a payl ...
s starting with Mercury-Atlas 7
Mercury-Atlas 7, launched May 24, 1962, was the fourth crewed flight of Project Mercury. The spacecraft, named ''Aurora 7'', was piloted by astronaut Scott Carpenter. He was the sixth human to fly in space. The mission used Mercury spacecraft No ...
in May 1962. '' Helicopter 66'' was the primary recovery vehicle for Apollo missions 8 and 10 to 13. In February 1971, an SH-3A, operating from the amphibious assault ship USS ''New Orleans'', recovered Apollo 14
Apollo 14 (January 31, 1971February 9, 1971) was the eighth crewed mission in the United States Apollo program, the third to land on the Moon, and the first to land in the lunar highlands. It was the last of the " H missions", landings at s ...
. A specialist 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 ...
variant of the SH-3, the HH-3, also performed in this capacity.
Several Sea Kings, operated by the United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
's HMX-1
Marine Helicopter Squadron One (HMX-1) is a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron responsible for the transportation of the president and vice president of the United States, heads of state, Department of Defense officials, and other VIPs ...
unit, are used as the official helicopters of the President of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...
; in this capacity, the call sign 'Marine One
Marine One is the call sign of any United States Marine Corps aircraft carrying the president of the United States. It usually denotes a helicopter operated by Marine Helicopter Squadron One ( HMX-1) "Nighthawks", consisting of either the larg ...
' is used by the helicopter currently occupied by the President. As of 2012, a replacement helicopter fleet for the Sea King is pending under the VXX
VXX, officially the Presidential Helicopter Replacement Program, is a procurement program to replace aging Marine One helicopters that transport the President of the United States. The current VH-3 helicopters have aging airframes, having e ...
program. In 1992, the US Justice Department
A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...
sued Sikorsky over allegations of overcharged component pricing and deliberately misleading US Navy negotiators. In 1997, the Justice Department issued further accusations against Sikorsky of willful overcharging on a contract to upgrade the Navy's Sea Kings.
During the 1990s, the Sea King was replaced in the ASW and SAR roles by the U.S. Navy with the newer Sikorsky SH-60 Sea Hawk
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 ...
. However, the SH-3 continued to operate in reserve units in roles including logistical support, search and rescue, and transport. On 27 January 2006, the SH-3 was ceremonially retired at NAS Norfolk, Virginia, by Helicopter Combat Support Squadron 2 (HC-2). They have been replaced by increasingly advanced variants of the SH-60 Sea Hawk. In the early 21st century, following their drawdown in US service, there have been a number of initiatives to refurbish ex-military Sea Kings for continued operations; in addition to civil operators, nations such as Egypt and India acquired refurbished former US Sea Kings to supplement their own aging fleets.
Variants
US military
;XHSS-2: The only prototype of the H-3 Sea King.[Eden 2004, p. 410.]
;YHSS-2: Pre-production S-61 aircraft, seven built for the U.S. Navy,[Donald 1997, p. 843.] re-designated YSH-3A in 1962.[
;HSS-2: Original designation of the Sea King. Changed to SH-3A by the ]1962 United States Tri-Service aircraft designation system
The Tri-Service aircraft designation system is a unified system introduced in 1962 by the United States Department of Defense for designating all U.S. military aircraft. Previously, the U.S. armed services used separate nomenclature systems.
...
;SH-3A : 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 ...
helicopter for the U.S. Navy; 245 built. Originally designated HSS-2.
;HH-3A: Combat search and rescue helicopter for the U.S. Navy. 12 converted from SH-3A.
;CH-3A: Military transport version for the U.S. Air Force; three converted from SH-3As into CH-3A configuration; they later became CH-3Bs.[Eden 2004, p. 413.]
;NH-3A (S-61F): Experimental high-speed compound helicopter, with extensive streamlining, no floats, short wings carrying two turbojet engines for extra speed; one converted from SH-3A. Later modified with a tail rotor able to rotate 90° to serve as a pusher propeller; this helicopter demonstrated "Roto-Prop" pusher propeller for Sikorsky's S-66 design.
;RH-3A: Minesweeper helicopter for the U.S. Navy. Nine converted from SH-3A aircraft.[
;VH-3A: VIP transport (Better known as ]Marine One
Marine One is the call sign of any United States Marine Corps aircraft carrying the president of the United States. It usually denotes a helicopter operated by Marine Helicopter Squadron One ( HMX-1) "Nighthawks", consisting of either the larg ...
or Army One 1957–1976.) helicopter for the U.S. Army and Marine Corps; originally designated HSS-2Z. Eight built, plus two SH-3A conversions rebuilt from damaged helicopters (one YHSS-2 and one SH-3A). The rest were returned to the U.S. Navy in 1975–76 and replaced by the VH-3D.
;CH-3B: Military transport helicopter for the U.S. Air Force.[
;SH-3D: ]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 ...
helicopter for the U.S. Navy. 73 built and two conversions from SH-3As.
;VH-3D: VIP Presidential transport helicopter (better known as Marine One
Marine One is the call sign of any United States Marine Corps aircraft carrying the president of the United States. It usually denotes a helicopter operated by Marine Helicopter Squadron One ( HMX-1) "Nighthawks", consisting of either the larg ...
) for the U.S. Marine Corps, 11 built. It entered service in 1976.[Eden 2004, p. 411.]
;SH-3G: Cargo, utility transport helicopter for the U.S. Navy. 105 conversions from SH-3A and SH-3D.
;SH-3H: Upgrade of the SH-3G as an 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) helicopter for the U.S. Navy. It included SH-3G features with improvements for ASW, anti-ship missile
An anti-ship missile (AShM) is a guided missile that is designed for use against ships and large boats. Most anti-ship missiles are of the sea skimming variety, and many use a combination of inertial guidance and active radar homing. A good ...
detection and other airframe improvements. 163 SH-3A/D/Gs were upgraded to SH-3H configuration.[
;SH-3H AEW: Airborne early warning version for the Spanish navy.
;UH-3H: Cargo, utility transport version for the U.S. Navy; converted from SH-3H by removing ASW systems.][
]
Sikorsky designations
;S-61: Company designation for the Sea King.
;S-61A: Export version for the Royal Danish Air Force. Wider pontoons without flotation bags, a 530-liter center tank instead of a dipping sonar and no automatic powered folding system.
;S-61A-4 Nuri: Military transport, search and rescue helicopter for the Royal Malaysian Air Force. It can seat up to 31 combat troops. 38 built.[
;S-61A/AH: Utility helicopter for survey work and search and rescue in the Antarctic.
;S-61B: Export version of the SH-3 anti-submarine warfare helicopter for the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force.
;S-61D-3: Export version for the ]Brazilian Navy
)
, colors= Blue and white
, colors_label= Colors
, march= "Cisne Branco" ( en, "White Swan") (same name as training ship ''Cisne Branco''
, mascot=
, equipment= 1 multipurpose aircraft carrier7 submarines6 frigates2 corvettes4 amphibious warf ...
.
;S-61D-4: Export version for the Argentine Navy
The Argentine Navy (ARA; es, Armada de la República Argentina). This forms the basis for the navy's ship prefix "ARA". is the navy of Argentina. It is one of the three branches of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic, together with the ...
.
;S-61NR: Search and rescue version for the Argentine Air Force.
;S-61V: Company designation for the VH-3A. One built for Indonesia.
;S-61L/N:
:Civil versions of the Sea King.
;S-61R:
:The S-61R served in the United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
as the CH-3C/E Sea King and the HH-3E Jolly Green Giant, and with the United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mult ...
and the Italian Air Force
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march = (Ordinance March of the Air Force) by Alberto Di Miniello
, mascot =
, anniversaries = 28 March ...
as the HH-3F Sea King (more commonly referred to by the nickname "Pelican").
United Aircraft of Canada
;CH-124: 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 ...
helicopter for the Royal Canadian Navy
The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; french: Marine royale canadienne, ''MRC'') is the Navy, naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2021, the RCN operates 12 frigates, four attack s ...
(41 assembled by United Aircraft of Canada).[Durning, Michael]
"CH-124 Sea King Variants."
''Canadian American Strategic Review (web archive).'' Retrieved: 18 April 2012.
;CH-124A: The Sea King Improvement Program (SKIP) added modernized avionics as well as improved safety features.
;CH-124B: Alternate version of the CH-124A without a dipping sonar but formerly with a MAD sensor and additional storage for deployable stores. In 2006, the five aircraft of this variant were converted to support the Standing Contingency Task Force (SCTF), and were modified with additional troop seats, and frequency agile radios. Plans to add fast-rope capability, EAPSNIPS (Engine Air Particle Separator / Snow & Ice Particle Separator) did not come to fruition.
;CH-124B2: Six CH-124Bs were upgraded to the CH-124B2 standard in 1991–1992. The revised CH-124B2 retained the sonobuoy processing gear to passively detect submarines but was also fitted with a towed-array sonar to supplement the ship's sonar. Since anti-submarine warfare is no longer a major priority within the Canadian Forces, the CH-124B2 were refitted again to become improvised troop carriers for the newly formed Standing Contingency Task Force.
;CH-124C: One CH-124 operated by the Helicopter Operational Test and Evaluation Facility located at CFB Shearwater. Used for testing new gear, and when not testing new gear, it is deployable to any Canadian Forces ship requiring a helicopter.
;CH-124U: Unofficial designation for four CH-124s that were modified for passenger/freight transport. One crashed in 1973, and the survivors were later refitted to become CH-124A's.
Westland
The Westland Sea King variant was manufactured under license by Westland Helicopters
Westland Helicopters was a British aircraft manufacturer. Originally Westland Aircraft, the company focused on helicopters after the Second World War. It was amalgamated with several other British firms in 1960 and 1961.
In 2000, it merged w ...
Ltd in the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
, who developed a specially modified version for the 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 ...
. It is powered by a pair of Rolls-Royce Gnome turbines (license-built T58s), and has British avionics and ASW equipment. This variant first flew in 1969, and entered service the next year. It was until 2017 also used by the Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
in a 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 ...
capacity, and has been sold to many countries around the world.
Agusta
;AS-61: Company designation for the H-3 Sea King built under license in Italy by Agusta.
;AS-61A-1: Italian export model for the Royal Malaysian Air Force.
;AS-61A-4: Military transport, search and rescue helicopter.
;AS-61N-1 Silver: License built model of the S-61N, with a shortened cabin.
;AS-61R: version basing upon Sikorsky S-61R
The Sikorsky S-61R is a twin-engine helicopter used in transport or search and rescue roles. A developed version of the S-61/SH-3 Sea King, the S-61R was also built under license by Agusta as the AS-61R. The S-61R served in the United States A ...
;AS-61VIP: VIP transport helicopter.
;ASH-3A (SH-3G): Utility transport helicopter
;ASH-3D: 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 ...
helicopter. Flown by the Italian, Brazilian, Iranian, Peruvian and Argentinian
Argentines (mistakenly translated Argentineans in the past; in Spanish (masculine) or ( feminine)) are people identified with the country of Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Argentines, ...
navies.
;ASH-3TS: VIP, executive transport mission helicopter. Also known as the ASH-3D/TS, the Italian Air Force
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march = (Ordinance March of the Air Force) by Alberto Di Miniello
, mascot =
, anniversaries = 28 March ...
operated 2 from 1975 until 2012.
;ASH-3H: 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 ...
helicopter.[Chant 1988, p. 356.]
Mitsubishi
;S-61A: License-built version of the S-61A as Search-and-Rescue and Utility helicopters for the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force. 18 built.
;HSS-2: License-built version of the S-61B as an 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 ...
helicopter for the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force. 55 built.
;HSS-2A: License-built version of the S-61B(SH-3D) as an anti-submarine warfare helicopter for the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force. 28 built.
;HSS-2B: License-built version of the S-61B(SH-3H) as an anti-submarine warfare helicopter for the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force. 23 built.
Operators
;
* Argentine Naval Aviation
;
*Brazilian Navy
)
, colors= Blue and white
, colors_label= Colors
, march= "Cisne Branco" ( en, "White Swan") (same name as training ship ''Cisne Branco''
, mascot=
, equipment= 1 multipurpose aircraft carrier7 submarines6 frigates2 corvettes4 amphibious warf ...
;
*Indian Navy
The Indian Navy is the maritime branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff, a four-star admiral, commands the navy. As a blue-water navy, it operates sig ...
;
* National Disaster Management Authority – An S-61A is leased from Cardig Air
Cardig Air is a cargo airline with its head office and home base at Jakarta, Indonesia. It operates scheduled all-cargo services across Asia and Indonesia as well as charter services to various domestic and regional destinations.
Cardig Air own ...
.
;
* Iranian Navy
;
*Malaysian Army Aviation
The Malaysian Army Aviation ( ms, Pasukan Udara Tentera Darat; PUTD) is the army aviation branch of the Malaysian Army. Currently equipped with helicopters in the liaison, transport and light attack roles. The Malaysian Army also plans to equip ...
– ex-RMAF
;
*Peruvian Navy
The Peruvian Navy ( es, link=no, Marina de Guerra del Perú, abbreviated MGP) is the branch of the Peruvian Armed Forces tasked with surveillance, patrol and defense on lakes, rivers and the Pacific Ocean up to from the Peruvian littoral. Addit ...
;
*United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
**HMX-1
Marine Helicopter Squadron One (HMX-1) is a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron responsible for the transportation of the president and vice president of the United States, heads of state, Department of Defense officials, and other VIPs ...
;
*Venezuelan Army
The Venezuelan Army, officially the National Army of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, Ejército Nacional de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is one of the six professional branches of the Armed Forces of Venezuela. Also known ...
Former
;
*Royal Canadian Navy
The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; french: Marine royale canadienne, ''MRC'') is the Navy, naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2021, the RCN operates 12 frigates, four attack s ...
– transferred to Air Command in 1968
*Royal Canadian Air Force
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...
(See: CH-124 Sea King
The Sikorsky CH-124 Sea King is a twin-engined anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter designed for shipboard use by Canadian naval forces, based on the US Navy's Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King, SH-3. It served with the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and ...
) – retired in December 2018
;
* Royal Danish Air Force
;
* Iraqi Air Force
;
*Italian Air Force
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march = (Ordinance March of the Air Force) by Alberto Di Miniello
, mascot =
, anniversaries = 28 March ...
– retired in September 2014
*Italian Navy
"Fatherland and Honour"
, patron =
, colors =
, colors_label =
, march = ( is the return of soldiers to their barrack, or sailors to their ship after a ...
– retired in June 2013
;
* Japan Maritime Self Defense Force
;
* Royal Malaysian Air Force – some helicopter transferred to Malaysian Army Aviation
;
* Royal Saudi Air Force
;
* Spanish Navy
;
* L.A. County Sheriff's Department
*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 ...
Aircraft on display
Argentina
* 0675 – S-61D-4 on static display at the Argentine Naval Aviation Museum in Bahia Blanca, Buenos Aires.
Denmark
* U-240 – S-61A on static display at the Danmarks Flymuseum in Skjern, Central Denmark.
United States
* 147140 – HH-3A on static display at the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Kekaha, Hawaii.
* 148038 – SH-3A on static display at the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum in Lexington Park, Maryland.
* 148042 – UH-3H on static display at Naval Station Norfolk in Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Be ...
.
* 148999 – SH-3H on static display at the USS ''Hornet'' Museum in Alameda, California.
* 149006 – UH-3H on static display at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum
The Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum is an aviation museum in McMinnville, Oregon. Its exhibits include the Hughes H-4 Hercules (''Spruce Goose'') and more than fifty military and civilian aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), and spac ...
in McMinnville, Oregon. It is painted as Apollo 11 recovery helicopter.
* 149695 – SH-3G on static display at Naval Air Station Jacksonville
Naval Air Station Jacksonville (NAS Jacksonville) is a large naval air station located approximately eight miles (13 km) south of the central business district of Jacksonville, Florida, United States., effective 2007-10-25
Location
NAS Jack ...
in Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the seat of Duval County, with which the ...
.
* 149711 – SH-3H on static display at the USS ''Midway'' Museum in San Diego
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 List of United States cities by population, eigh ...
, California.
* 149738 – SH-3H in storage at the Quonset Air Museum
The Quonset Air Museum was an aerospace museum located in Quonset Point Business Park in North Kingstown, Rhode Island.
The museum's collection included: missiles, aircraft and over 5000 smaller aviation artifacts. An extensive archive of magaz ...
in North Kingston, Rhode Island
North Kingstown is a town in Washington County, Rhode Island, Washington County, Rhode Island, United States, and is part of the Providence metropolitan area. The population was 27,732 in the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. North Kingstow ...
.
* 149932 – SH-3G on static display at the Patriots Point
Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum is located in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, at the mouth of the Cooper River on the Charleston Harbor, across from Charleston.
Museum ships and exhibits
Patriots Point is home to two museum ships:
* , ...
in Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston–North Charleston metropolitan area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint o ...
.
* 150611 – VH-3A on static display at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library is the repository of presidential records from the administration of Ronald Reagan, the 40th president of the United States, and the burial place of the president and first lady, Nancy Reagan. It is the larg ...
in Simi Valley, California.
* 150613 – VH-3A on static display at the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola () is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle, and the county seat and only incorporated city of Escambia County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 54,312. Pensacola is the principal ...
.
* 150617 – VH-3A on static display at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum
The Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum is the presidential library and burial site of Richard Milhous Nixon, the 37th president of the United States (1969–1974), and his wife Pat Nixon.
Located in Yorba Linda, California, on land ...
in Yorba Linda, California
Yorba Linda is a suburban city in northeastern Orange County, California, United States, approximately southeast of Downtown Los Angeles. It is part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area, and had a population of 68,336 at the 2020 census.
Yor ...
.
* 156484 – SH-3D on static display at the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida.
* Unknown BuNo – SH-3 on static display at the Hickory Aviation Museum
Hickory Aviation Museum is an aviation museum at the Hickory Regional Airport in Hickory, North Carolina. It features a museum located in the former airport terminal with artifacts, a hangar with aircraft and outdoor exhibits of aircraft on the ...
in Hickory, North Carolina.
Specifications (SH-3D)
See also
References
Notes
Bibliography
*Andrade, John. ''Militair 1982.'' London: Aviation Press, 1982.
*Biass, Eric H. ''World Helicopter Systems.'' Geneva, Switzerland: Interavia Data, 1985.
*Bishop, Chris and Chris Chant. ''Aircraft Carriers.'' Minneapolis, Minnesota: Zenith Imprint, 2004. .
*Blair, Don. ''Splashdown! Nasa and the Navy.'' Nashville, Tennessee: Turner Publishing, 2004. .
*Byers, R.B. ''The Denuclearisation of the Oceans''. London: Taylor & Francis, 1986. .
*Chant, Christopher. ''A Compendium of Armaments and Military Hardware.'' London: Routledge, 1988. .
*Chesneau, Roger. ''Aeroguide 10: Westland Sea King HAR Mk 3''. Essex, UK: Linewrights, 1985. .
*''DOD 4120.15-L Model Designation of Military Aircraft, Rockets, and Guided Missiles.'' Washington, D.C.: Department of Defense, 1974.
*''DOD 4120.15-L Model Designation of Military Aircraft, Rockets, and Guided Missiles.'' Washington, D.C.: Department of Defense, 1998.
*''DOD 4120.15-L Model Designation of Military Aircraft, Rockets, and Guided Missiles.'' Washington, D.C.: Department of Defense, 2004.
*Donald, David, ed. ''The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft''. New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 1997. .
*
*Fieldhouse, Richard and Taoka Shunji. ''Superpowers at Sea: An Assessment of the Naval Arms Race''. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 1989. .
*Frawley, Gerard. ''The International Directory of Civil Aircraft, 2003–2004''. Fyshwick, Australian Capital Territory: Aerospace Publications Pty Ltd, 2003. .
*Jackson, Robert, ed. "Sikorsky S-61/SH-3 Sea King." ''Helicopters: Military, Civilian, and Rescue Rotorcraft'' (The Aviation Factfile). London: Grange Books Ltd, 2005. .
*Lake, Jon. "Westland Sea King: Variant Briefing". ''World Air Power Journal'', Volume 25, Summer 1996, pp. 110–135. London: Aerospace Publishing. . .
*Leoni, Ron D. ''Black Hawk: The Story of a World Class Helicopter.'' Reston, Virginia: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2007. .
*Marolda, Edward J. ''By Sea, Air, and Land: An Illustrated History of the U. S. Navy and the War in Southeast Asia.'' Darby, Pennsylvania: DIANE Publishing, 1996. .
*McGowen, Stanley S. ''Helicopters: An Illustrated History of their Impact''. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO, 2005. .
*Mutza, Wayne. ''Helicopter Gunships: Deadly Combat Weapon Systems''. Specialty Press, 2010. .
*Uttley, Matthew
''Westland and the British Helicopter Industry, 1945–1960: Licensed Production versus Indigenous Innovation''.
London: Routledge, 2001. .
*Williamson, Ronald M. ''Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, 1940–2000: An Illustrated History.'' Nashville, Tennessee: Turner Publishing, 2000. .
Further reading
*
External links
S-61 Specs & Photo on flugzeuginfo.net
HELIS.com Sikorsky S-61/H-3/HSS-2 Database
{{Authority control
United States military helicopters
1950s United States anti-submarine aircraft
1950s United States military utility aircraft
Amphibious helicopters
1950s United States helicopters
Twin-turbine helicopters
Aircraft first flown in 1959
SH-3 Sea King
Anti-submarine helicopters