Following my tour as Commander, Carrier Strike Group Two, it has been my distinct pleasure to assume the duties of Director, Air Warfare, on the Chief of Naval Operations’ staff. VADM Mark “Lobster” Fitzgerald, now Commander, 2nd Fleet, leaves a legacy of farsighted programs that positions Naval Aviation well into the 21st century.
As I begin my tour, I want to highlight a very important part of Naval Aviation. These Naval Aviators may not make the news as much as our carriers and strike fighters, but they have demonstrated their warrior spirit and professionalism time and again. I don’t think any of us would want to go into battle without them. I am, of course, talking about our Naval helicopter force.
As the capabilities of helicopters have advanced, so too has the need for them to continually adapt to a variety of missions. From defending carriers from Soviet nuclear submarines during the Cold War to the multi-tasked combat of the War on Terror, the Naval helicopter force has always responded brilliantly and adapted to the mission at hand.
Helo Capabilities Expand
This inherent flexibility is part of what makes our Naval helo force a vital and indispensable member of the carrier strike group team! In the future, the helicopter will move steadily forward in capability and responsibility. As our Chief of Naval Operations has said, “Helicopter air is, as of this moment, at the forefront of Navy transformation.”
Armed naval helicopters are at the top of every strike group commander’s priority list and rightfully so. The Naval helo team has proven itself to be a versatile, multi-dimensional force multiplier. As we implement SeaPower 21, we will integrate sea, land, air, space and cyberspace to a greater extent than ever before, and we will depend on helicopters to be a critical component of sea and littoral battlespace dominance within the pillars of Sea Shield, Sea Strike and Sea Basing. The requirements of SeaPower 21 are the latest chapter in the development of the Navy helicopter community and are part of a long rotary-wing tradition of vertical transformation.
Three Helo Types for the Future
As with our other Naval aircraft, we are reducing the type/model/series of the Navy’s battle group helicopter force from eight to three: the MH-60 Sierra, MH-60 Romeo and the MH-53E. The objective of this reduction is to expand our warfighting capability greatly while significantly reducing costs. This plan capitalizes on efficiencies of simplified maintenance, logistics and training pipelines while satisfying the needs of both active and Reserve forces.
The MH-60R will replace the SH-60B and SH-60F in the roles of surface and anti-submarine warfare roles. The MH-60S will replace the CH-46D and HH-60H for vertical replenishment, surface warfare, special warfare as well as combat search and rescue, and will add an organic airborne mine countermeasures (OAMCM) capability. We will modernize and increase our helicopter force and weapon systems by adding Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar (ISAR), an advanced dipping Airborne Low Frequency Sonar (ALFS), Hellfire and Forward-Looking Infrared (FLIR). The new OAMCM mission will feature five new MCM sensors, including AQS-20A mine-hunting sonar, Airborne Laser Mine Detection System (ALMDS), Airborne Mine Neutralization System (AMNS), Rapid Airborne Mine Clearance System (RAMICS), and Organic Airborne and Surface Influence Sweep (OASIS).
Helo Command Structure Is Transformed
The tremendous leap in capability represented in these aircraft has compelled Naval Aviation to examine further the helo command structure, which likewise will be transformed. Ten MH-60S and 10 MH-60R squadrons will deploy as part of our carrier air wings. Detachments from these carrier-based squadrons will in turn support cruiser and destroyer units within the strike group. In this manner, helicopter squadrons and their commanding officers will become more closely integrated with carrier strike group leadership. Additionally, five expeditionary Romeo squadrons and six expeditionary Sierra squadrons will meet noncarrier strike group requirements such as counternarcotic detachments, independent cruiser/destroyer operations, search and rescue, and expeditionary strike group support.
The expeditionary squadron is a detachment-based unit similar to today’s helicopter combat support (HC) or helicopter anti-submarine (light) (HSL) squadrons and could, if required, surge to add even more capability to the carrier strike group.
Recent Operation Enduring Freedom combat operations highlighted the unmatched capability and capacity of the MH-53E in the dedicated airborne mine countermeasures (AMCM) and heavy-lift combat support missions. The advent of the Sea Base concept and continuing requirement for a robust vertical heavy-lift and dedicated AMCM capability may result in a commitment to maintaining the MH-53E or a heavy-lift replacement (HLR) capability as part of the Navy’s future helicopter force structure.
A modern Naval helicopter force, armed with the latest weapons and technology, is of tremendous value to the strike group commander. The helicopter community remains at the core of Naval Aviation, and a robust and highly capable helicopter fighting force is a fundamental requirement for any Navy operation. Our road map of helicopter force modernization will enable the helicopter community to continue to execute effectively its essential role in Naval Aviation.
Ed Note: RADM Tom Kilcline, a 1973 graduate of the Naval Academy, was designated a Naval Aviator in 1975 and received orders as a pilot to the fighter community where he flew operationally with VF-51, VF-126 and VF-213. Kilcline has commanded VF-154, Carrier Air Wing 14 and Carrier Group Two.
Shore assignments include the staff of 2nd Fleet, CNO Chair to the National War College, Executive Assistant to Deputy, European Command, Chief of Staff for Commander Naval Air Forces, and most recently, Director, Naval Aviation Plans and Requirements (N780). He was named Director, Air Warfare Division in August 2004.
RADM Kilcline in 32 years has amassed more than 5,300 flight hours in the F-4, F-14, F/A-18, A-4 and F-5 aircraft, and has logged 1,150 carrier arrested landings.