Photo: USAF/Andre Trinidad
Traditionally speaking, any HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter can carry two guns. They come as any combination between the GAU-2C 7.62 mm minigun, the GAU 18/A .50 caliber machine gun, or the M240 machine gun, and worked beautifully so far. Yet some people decided that’s not enough firepower and really went overboard.
Some people would be the airmen from the 920th Rescue Wing’s 943rd Rescue Group who, in a bid “to bring more firepower to the fight,” can now equip Pave Hawks with an extra four machine guns.
When research on the idea started, the plan was to find ways to have the extra weapons added without significantly altering the chopper. The changes also had to be cost-effective, easy to make, and respect Air Force manuals and technical orders.
After studying the helicopter, the team who worked on this project found the .50 caliber machine gun was no good for the task ahead because the floor design of the helicopter would not support the weapon’s torque. The minigun, on the other hand, required too much power. So the crew settled on the M240.
As the result of research and work done over the past few weeks, two such weapons can now be mounted on each door opening, on the same stand and very close one to another.
To get them to fit in there, airmen used a base stand from an existing cooperative project within the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve. Then, they added an aircraft mount the 55th and 71st Special Operations Squadrons are already using for their 50-cals, and, as a final touch, a patrol boat MK99 gun mount was adapted for use in the helicopter.
The modifications were made as the Air Force is trying to find ways to use the Pave Hawk as a punchier gunship. If in a mission the helicopter doesn’t need all those weapons, they can easily be removed. More importantly, the technical solution envisioned for this project will also apply to the Pave Hawk’s upcoming replacement, the Jolly Green II.
Although in theory the system works, the Air Force is yet to test it in a live fire scenario on a flying aircraft.
When research on the idea started, the plan was to find ways to have the extra weapons added without significantly altering the chopper. The changes also had to be cost-effective, easy to make, and respect Air Force manuals and technical orders.
After studying the helicopter, the team who worked on this project found the .50 caliber machine gun was no good for the task ahead because the floor design of the helicopter would not support the weapon’s torque. The minigun, on the other hand, required too much power. So the crew settled on the M240.
As the result of research and work done over the past few weeks, two such weapons can now be mounted on each door opening, on the same stand and very close one to another.
To get them to fit in there, airmen used a base stand from an existing cooperative project within the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve. Then, they added an aircraft mount the 55th and 71st Special Operations Squadrons are already using for their 50-cals, and, as a final touch, a patrol boat MK99 gun mount was adapted for use in the helicopter.
The modifications were made as the Air Force is trying to find ways to use the Pave Hawk as a punchier gunship. If in a mission the helicopter doesn’t need all those weapons, they can easily be removed. More importantly, the technical solution envisioned for this project will also apply to the Pave Hawk’s upcoming replacement, the Jolly Green II.
Although in theory the system works, the Air Force is yet to test it in a live fire scenario on a flying aircraft.
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