MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII -- On May 11, 2015, the helicopter maritime strike community and the Naval Helicopter Association celebrated the sundown of the SH-60B in San Diego. An aerial demonstration by a SH-60B and a MH-60R was performed with the traditional maneuver of the new aircraft overtaking the old aircraft on its final flight. Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 37 and the rest of the fleet are now comprised solely of MH-60R aircraft.
On Feb. 3, the “Easyriders” of HSM-37 celebrated the final flight of the SH-60B in Hawaii with the return of Detachment 3 embarked on USS Halsey in support of Commander Task Force 74 operations. This milestone marked the close of 23 years of flying the SH-60B and completed the full operational transition to the MH-60R.
Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light 37 was established on July 3, 1975 aboard Naval Air Station Barbers Point, Hawaii as the very first operational Light Airborne Multi-Purpose System squadron. On Feb. 6, 1992, HSL-37 became the first U.S. Navy Helicopter squadron to transition from the SH-2F Seasprite to the SH-60B Seahawk. As the only LAMPS squadron in the Middle Pacific region, the Easyriders have completed more than 100 SH-60B deployments. While HSL-37 traditionally only deployed on smaller air-capable ships to conduct independent tours, the Bravo has been called upon many times to support carrier strike group operations. The Bravo’s legacy at HSL-37 is one of excellence showcased by its more than 110,000 mishap-free
flight hours.
At the height of its use, the SH-60B was the most versatile aircraft in the Navy’s arsenal. Its primary missions include surface warfare and anti-submarine warfare. The SUW load out includes RADAR, a forward-looking infrared system, a GAU-16 or M240 machine gun, and four Hellfire missiles. The ASW load out includes 25 sonobuoys, 3 torpedoes, and a Magnetic Anomaly Detector trailed by the helicopter to detect the magnetic presence of a submarine. The Bravo is also capable of conducting search and rescue and medical evacuations. One such lifesaving mission occurred during the Rim of the Pacific Exercise when a Sailor aboard a Canadian submarine had to be evacuated in a litter via the Bravo’s rescue hoist. The litter had to be vertically hoisted out of a 3-foot-wide opening in the submarine’s hull while underway in rough seas.
During the final days for the SH-60B, Det. 3 deployed onboard USS Halsey from July 2014 through February, participating in several multinational exercises, including Cooperation and Readiness Afloat Training Singapore, Silent Banshee, Valiant Shield and Keen Sword.
These missions consisted of ASW, SUW, High Value Unit screening, and Cross-Deck Landing Operations. They were performed with three different partner nations, the USS George Washington and USS Carl Vinson. These operations helped to foster and sustain cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the security of sea lanes and the freedom to navigate the world’s oceans. Additionally, Det. 3 supported Commander Seventh Fleet operational objectives by conducting vital ASW tasking and presence operations in the East and South China Seas.
These missions are but a small example of the support the “Easyriders” have provided to fleet commanders throughout the past 23 years with SH-60B deployments and are representative of the squadron’s ability to meet every challenge. “It has been a unique opportunity to be a part of HSL-37’s past with the SH-60B and its future as we begin operations with the MH-60R,” said Lt. Cmdr. Bill Miante, who served as a junior officer in HSL-37 as a first tour pilot and returned three years later, for a second sea tour at the onset of the transition from Bravos to Romeos. On Oct. 1, 2013, HSL-37 was redesignated Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 37 and transitioned to the MH-60R.
“The combat capability of the MH-60R is leaps and bounds ahead of our legacy aircraft. We’re in an exciting time for naval aviation as we approach the final phase of transition in the helicopter community from seven to two type/model/series aircraft,” said Cmdr. Brannon Bickel, the commanding officer of HSM-37.
HSM-37’s last two SH-60B aircraft flown by Det. 3 have been transported to the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. Aviation museums throughout the U.S. display the “Venerable Bravo.” Most notably is the SH-60B on display at the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial in Mobile, Ala., which was flown during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and credited with more than 250 lives saved.
The “Easyriders” carry on the legacy rooted in SH-60B operations supporting naval operations worldwide as the Navy’s largest MH-60R expeditionary squadron.