The U.S. Coast Guard's fleet of HH-65 Dolphins is one of the most visible assets operated by America's fiftharmed service. Selected to meet the requirements of the Guard's Short Range Recovery (SRR) mission in 1979,the HH-65 was built in the United States on the basis of the commercial AS365 Dauphin, thereby presaging thelater UH-72 Lakota light utility helicopter (LUH) program. The HH-65A formally entered service in 1985, and in2004 the service decided to pursue a re-engining plan for the Dolphin in support of the Deepwater program,resulting in the HH-65C. This paper will review the requirements which drove the HH-65C initiative, theexecution of this program, and the resulting improvement in capabilities. The paper will also consider futureenhancements planned and considered for the HH-65C fleet in support of the Multi-Mission Cutter Helicopter(MCH) effort, along with the application of the Dolphin fleet to other roles.
展开▼
