MH-65 Dolphin

MH-65 Dolphin
RotoHead1790 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Name	MH-65 Dolphin
Caption	A United States Coast Guard MH-65D Dolphin in flight.
Type	Short-range recovery helicopter
National origin	France / United States
Manufacturer	Aérospatiale / Airbus Helicopters
First flight	1980
Introduction	1984
Status	In service
Primary user	United States Coast Guard
Number built	102
Developed from	Aérospatiale SA 365 Dauphin

MH-65 Dolphin. The MH-65 Dolphin is a twin-engine, short-range recovery helicopter developed from the Aérospatiale SA 365 Dauphin and operated primarily by the United States Coast Guard. It was selected under the Short Range Recovery (SRR) program to replace the service's aging fleet of Sikorsky HH-52 Sea Guard helicopters. The airframe is manufactured by Aérospatiale (now Airbus Helicopters) and was initially assembled in Grand Prairie, Texas by American Eurocopter.

Development and design

The development of the MH-65 Dolphin stemmed from the United States Coast Guard's urgent need for a modernized Short Range Recovery platform in the late 1970s. Following a competitive evaluation, the service selected the Aérospatiale SA 365 Dauphin in 1979, designating it the HH-65A Dolphin. A key design requirement was the integration of Lycoming LTS101 turboshaft engines to meet Buy American Act provisions, though these powerplants later proved problematic. The airframe features a shrouded Fenestron tail rotor for safety and a composite materials structure. Major avionics and systems upgrades were implemented through the Multi-year Coast Guard Helicopter Improvement Program (HIP), leading to the re-engined MH-65C and the modernized MH-65D variant, which features General Electric CT7 engines and a Rockwell Collins glass cockpit.

Operational history

The United States Coast Guard accepted its first HH-65A in 1984, with initial operational capability achieved at Coast Guard Air Station Brooklyn in New York. The Dolphin fleet quickly became the service's workhorse for search and rescue, maritime law enforcement, and homeland security missions across the United States, including operations in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. Dolphins were notably deployed following events like Hurricane Katrina and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. They have also been forward-deployed on National Security Cutters and High Endurance Cutters. In 2020, the United States Coast Guard announced the MH-65 would be replaced by the Sikorsky MH-60T Jayhawk as part of the Airborne Use of Force and Vertical Insertion programs.

Variants

* HH-65A Dolphin: Original production model powered by Lycoming LTS101 engines. * MH-65B: Interim designation for aircraft upgraded with improved navigation and sensor systems. * MH-65C: Re-engined variant with General Electric CT7 powerplants, developed under the Multi-year Coast Guard Helicopter Improvement Program. * MH-65D: Definitive upgraded variant featuring a full Rockwell Collins glass cockpit, Sierra Nevada Corporation mission system, and enhanced sensors. All airframes were modernized to this standard. * MH-65E: Proposed but unbuilt variant for the United States Navy.

Operators

The sole military operator is the United States Coast Guard, which operates the fleet from numerous Coast Guard Air Stations across the United States, including facilities in Miami, Los Angeles, and Kodiak, Alaska. The United States Department of Homeland Security is the overseeing agency. No Dolphin helicopters have been exported to foreign militaries, though the original Aérospatiale SA 365 Dauphin design is operated by numerous services worldwide, including the French Navy and the Israeli Air Force.

Specifications (MH-65D)

General characteristics * Crew: 4 (2 pilots, 2 rescue swimmers/crew) * Length: 44 ft 2 in (13.46 m) * Height: 13 ft 1 in (3.99 m) * Empty weight: 5,210 lb (2,363 kg) * Powerplant: 2 × General Electric CT7 turboshaft engines * Main rotor diameter: 39 ft 2 in (11.94 m) Performance * Maximum speed: 175 kn (201 mph, 324 km/h) * Range: 400 nmi (460 mi, 740 km) * Service ceiling: 10,200 ft (3,100 m) Armament * Can be equipped with a M240 machine gun for Airborne Use of Force missions.

Notable accidents and incidents

* On 29 July 1991, an HH-65A from Coast Guard Air Station San Francisco crashed into the Pacific Ocean near Point Reyes, California, during a training flight, killing all four crewmembers. The crash was attributed to a dual-engine failure. * On 13 October 1998, an HH-65A from Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod experienced a hard landing on Nantucket Shoals, resulting in substantial damage but no fatalities. * On 9 May 2006, an MH-65C from Coast Guard Air Station Houston crashed into Galveston Bay following a loss of tail rotor control during a training sortie. All four crew survived. * On 19 October 2015, an MH-65D from Coast Guard Air Station Los Angeles made a controlled ditching in the Pacific Ocean off San Pedro, California, after reporting a transmission failure. All crew were rescued.

Category:United States Coast Guard aircraft Category:Airbus Helicopters aircraft Category:Search and rescue helicopters