1.
Seattle
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Seattle is a seaport city on the west coast of the United States and the seat of King County, Washington. With an estimated 684,451 residents as of 2015, Seattle is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region of North America. In July 2013, it was the major city in the United States. The city is situated on an isthmus between Puget Sound and Lake Washington, about 100 miles south of the Canada–United States border, a major gateway for trade with Asia, Seattle is the fourth-largest port in North America in terms of container handling as of 2015. The Seattle area was inhabited by Native Americans for at least 4,000 years before the first permanent European settlers. Arthur A. Denny and his group of travelers, subsequently known as the Denny Party, arrived from Illinois via Portland, the settlement was moved to the eastern shore of Elliott Bay and named Seattle in 1852, after Chief Siahl of the local Duwamish and Suquamish tribes. Logging was Seattles first major industry, but by the late-19th century, growth after World War II was partially due to the local Boeing company, which established Seattle as a center for aircraft manufacturing. The Seattle area developed as a technology center beginning in the 1980s, in 1994, Internet retailer Amazon was founded in Seattle. The stream of new software, biotechnology, and Internet companies led to an economic revival, Seattle has a noteworthy musical history. From 1918 to 1951, nearly two dozen jazz nightclubs existed along Jackson Street, from the current Chinatown/International District, to the Central District, the jazz scene developed the early careers of Ray Charles, Quincy Jones, Ernestine Anderson, and others. Seattle is also the birthplace of rock musician Jimi Hendrix and the alternative rock subgenre grunge, archaeological excavations suggest that Native Americans have inhabited the Seattle area for at least 4,000 years. By the time the first European settlers arrived, the people occupied at least seventeen villages in the areas around Elliott Bay, the first European to visit the Seattle area was George Vancouver, in May 1792 during his 1791–95 expedition to chart the Pacific Northwest. In 1851, a party led by Luther Collins made a location on land at the mouth of the Duwamish River. Thirteen days later, members of the Collins Party on the way to their claim passed three scouts of the Denny Party, members of the Denny Party claimed land on Alki Point on September 28,1851. The rest of the Denny Party set sail from Portland, Oregon, after a difficult winter, most of the Denny Party relocated across Elliott Bay and claimed land a second time at the site of present-day Pioneer Square, naming this new settlement Duwamps. For the next few years, New York Alki and Duwamps competed for dominance, david Swinson Doc Maynard, one of the founders of Duwamps, was the primary advocate to name the settlement after Chief Sealth of the Duwamish and Suquamish tribes. The name Seattle appears on official Washington Territory papers dated May 23,1853, in 1855, nominal land settlements were established. On January 14,1865, the Legislature of Territorial Washington incorporated the Town of Seattle with a board of managing the city
2.
Knox-class frigate
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A sub-class of the Knox class was built, commonly referred to as the Hewes class. The primary differences were slightly different arrangement of the Officers Country staterooms with additional staterooms in the 01 level instead of the deck between the boat decks. The stateroom on the side under the bridge was designated as a flag stateroom. The 46 ships of the Knox class were the largest, last and most numerous of the US Navy’s second-generation ASW escorts, the lead ship of the class was USS Knox, laid down 5 October 1965 and commissioned on 12 April 1969, at Todd Shipyards in Seattle. In 1965, Sea Mauler was cancelled, leaving the ships to complete without any surface-to-air missile system, ten ships were authorized in FY1964, sixteen in 1965 and ten each for FYs 1966,67 and 68, six were canceled in 1968 and four more in 1969. While the FY64 and FY65 ships were ordered four different shipyards. These ships were built on a line, with prefabricated modules being assembled upside down, welded together. They were originally commissioned as destroyer escorts 1052–1097 in 1969–1974, but were redesignated as frigates on 30 June 1975, the Knox class had been criticized for deck wetness and there were a number of instances of damage to the forward weapons mounts in heavy seas. In 1979, the class began to receive hurricane bows beginning with USS Bagley, the modification heightened the bow section, adding bulwarks and spray strakes to prevent burrowing into on-coming seas and better protect the forecastle armament. The Knox class was the Navy’s last destroyer-type design with a steam turbine powerplant. Due to their unequal comparison to destroyers then in service, they known to a generation of destroyermen as “McNamara’s Folly. ”These ships were retired from the US Navy at the end of the Cold War due to their relatively high running costs, a declining defense budget. The Knox class are 438 feet long overall and 415 feet at the waterline, with a beam of 46 feet 9 inches, at 4,200 metric tons, with a length of 438 feet and a beam of 47 feet. This gives them a speed of 27 knots and these ships were designed primarily as antisubmarine warfare platforms. As built, their main anti-submarine sensor was the large bow-mounted AN/SQS-26CX low-frequency scanning sonar, operating as an active sonar at a frequency of about 3.5 kHz and passively at 1. 5–4 kHz. Twenty-five ships of the class were refitted with the AN/SQS-35 Independent Variable Depth Sonar, the IVDS could take advantage of water layer temperature conditions in close-range (less than 20,000 yards submarine detection, tracking and fire-control. The AN/SQS-35 fish was later modified to tow an AN/SQR-18A TACTASS passive towed array sonar, a helicopter deck and hangar for operating the DASH drone helicopter was fitted aft. The helicopter facilities were expanded in the 1970s to accommodate the larger, manned, while as built, anti-aircraft capabilities were limited to the 5-inch gun, it was planned to refit the ships with a short range surface to air missile system to replace the cancelled Sea Mauler. 31 ships were fitted with an eight-round Basic Point Defence Missile System launcher for RIM-7 Sea Sparrow missiles and it was planned to equip the other 14 ships with Sea Chaparral, based on the Sidewinder air-to-air missile, but this plan was abandoned
3.
Frigate
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A frigate /ˈfrɪɡᵻt/ is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries. In the 17th century, this term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability and these could be warships carrying their principal batteries of carriage-mounted guns on a single deck or on two decks. The term was used for ships too small to stand in the line of battle. In the late 19th century, the frigate was a type of ironclad warship that for a time was the most powerful type of vessel afloat. The term frigate was used because such ships still mounted their principal armaments on a continuous upper deck. Ship classes dubbed frigates have more closely resembled corvettes, destroyers, cruisers. The rank frigate captain derives from the name of type of ship. The term frigate originated in the Mediterranean in the late 15th century, referring to a lighter galleass type ship with oars, sails and a light armament, built for speed and maneuverability. The etymology of the word is unknown, although it may have originated as a corruption of aphractus, aphractus was, in turn, derived from the Ancient Greek phrase ἄφρακτος ναῦς, or undefended ship. In 1583, during the Eighty Years War, Habsburg Spain recovered the Southern Netherlands from the rebellious Dutch and this soon led to the occupied ports being used as bases for privateers, the Dunkirkers, to attack the shipping of the Dutch and their allies. To achieve this they developed small, maneuverable, sailing vessels that came to be referred to as frigates, in French, the term frigate became a verb, meaning to build long and low, and an adjective, adding further confusion. Even the huge English Sovereign of the Seas could be described as a frigate by a contemporary after her upper decks were reduced in 1651. The navy of the Dutch Republic was the first navy to build the larger ocean-going frigates, the first two tasks required speed, shallowness of draft for the shallow waters around the Netherlands, and the ability to carry sufficient supplies to maintain a blockade. The third task required heavy armament, sufficient to fight against the Spanish fleet, the first of these larger battle-capable frigates were built around 1600 at Hoorn in Holland. The effectiveness of the Dutch frigates became most visible in the Battle of the Downs in 1639, encouraging most other navies, especially the English, to adopt similar designs. The fleets built by the Commonwealth of England in the 1650s generally consisted of ships described as frigates, the largest of which were two-decker great frigates of the third rate. Carrying 60 guns, these vessels were as big and capable as great ships of the time, however, most other frigates at the time were used as cruisers, independent fast ships. The term frigate implied a long hull design, which relates directly to speed and also, in turn, in Danish, the word fregat is often applied to warships carrying as few as 16 guns, such as HMS Falcon which the British classified as a sloop
4.
Sonar
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Sonar is a technique that uses sound propagation to navigate, communicate with or detect objects on or under the surface of the water, such as other vessels. Two types of technology share the name sonar, passive sonar is essentially listening for the sound made by vessels, active sonar is emitting pulses of sounds, Sonar may be used as a means of acoustic location and of measurement of the echo characteristics of targets in the water. Acoustic location in air was used before the introduction of radar, Sonar may also be used in air for robot navigation, and SODAR is used for atmospheric investigations. The term sonar is used for the equipment used to generate. The acoustic frequencies used in sonar systems vary from low to extremely high. The study of sound is known as underwater acoustics or hydroacoustics. In the 19th century a bell was used as an ancillary to lighthouses to provide warning of hazards. The use of sound to locate underwater in the same way as bats use sound for aerial navigation seems to have been prompted by the Titanic disaster of 1912. S. Revenue Cutter Miami on the Grand Banks off Newfoundland Canada, in that test, Fessenden demonstrated depth sounding, underwater communications and echo ranging. The so-called Fessenden oscillator, at ca.500 Hz frequency, was unable to determine the bearing of the due to the 3 metre wavelength. The ten Montreal-built British H class submarines launched in 1915 were equipped with a Fessenden oscillator, during World War I the need to detect submarines prompted more research into the use of sound. Although piezoelectric and magnetostrictive transducers later superseded the electrostatic transducers they used, lightweight sound-sensitive plastic film and fibre optics have been used for hydrophones, while Terfenol-D and PMN have been developed for projectors. By 1918, both France and Britain had built prototype active systems, the British tested their ASDIC on HMS Antrim in 1920, and started production in 1922. The 6th Destroyer Flotilla had ASDIC-equipped vessels in 1923, an anti-submarine school, HMS Osprey, and a training flotilla of four vessels were established on Portland in 1924. The US Sonar QB set arrived in 1931, by the outbreak of World War II, the Royal Navy had five sets for different surface ship classes, and others for submarines, incorporated into a complete anti-submarine attack system. The effectiveness of early ASDIC was hamstrung by the use of the charge as an anti-submarine weapon. This required a vessel to pass over a submerged contact before dropping charges over the stern. The hunter was effectively firing blind, during which time a commander could take evasive action
5.
AN/SLQ-32 Electronic Warfare Suite
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The AN/SLQ-32 is a shipboard electronic warfare suite built by the Raytheon Company of Goleta, California. It is currently the primary electronic warfare system in use by U. S. Navy ships, referred to by its operators as the slick-32. The SLQ-32 was originally conceived in the 1970s to augment the AN/WLR-1 and it was later determined to save costs to replace the various WLR-1 series suites with the SLQ-32 as a stand alone system. As originally designed, the SLQ-32 was produced in three variants, the 1,2 and 3, later in its service life, two additional versions were built, the 4 and 5. The Air Transport Rack sized processors were supplied by ROLM Mil-Spec Computers in San Jose, sLQ-321 – A simple threat warning receiver, it was capable of receiving high-band radar signals of the type commonly carried on missiles and aircraft. The 1 was installed on ships and small combatants such as frigates. This variant of the system is being phased out as current ships equipped become decommissioned, sLQ-322 – Initially the most common variant, the 2 added the ability to receive surveillance and targeting radars. This provided a passive targeting capability for Harpoon missile-equipped ships, the 2 was installed on frigates, destroyers, and 270-foot Coast Guard Cutters. SLQ-323 – Expanding on the 2’s capabilities, the 3 added active radar-jamming capability, the 3 was installed on various combatants such as cruisers, battleships, large amphibious ships and high-value replenishment vessels. SLQ-324 – Designed for installation on aircraft carriers, the 4 consisted of two 3 systems, one for each side of the ship, tied to a common computer, additional line replaceable units and software were added to support the wide separation of the two antenna/electronics enclosures. SLQ-325 – The 5 was built as a response to the Stark incident in 1987, the 5 incorporated a compact version of the 3 system intended to give active jamming capability to the Perry class FFG’s, which were too small to carry a full 3. All versions of the SLQ-32, with the exception of the 4, are interfaced with the MK36 Decoy Launching System, able to launch chaff and infrared decoys under the control of the SLQ-32. The number and arrangement of MK36 launchers installed depends on the size of the ship, a growing number of systems are being upgraded to incorporate the multi-national MK-53 Nulka system. The original modular design was intended to allow upgrades of the system from one variant to the next by simply installing additional equipment as required, starting in the early 1990s, a program was begun to upgrade all SLQ-32s in the U. S. fleet. Most 1 systems were upgraded to 2, and most 2 systems were upgraded to 3 and this was normally carried out during a major ship overhaul. The initial procurement process was built around a “design to price” concept in which the delivery cost per system was fixed in the contract. The SLQ-32 was designed to support the protection of ships against anti-ship missiles in an open sea environment, after initial deployment of the system, naval roles began to change requiring ships to operate much closer to shore in denser signal environments. This change in roles required changes to the SLQ-32 systems which were added over time, with experience gained working with the SLQ-32, coupled with improvements to the hardware and software, technicians and operators gradually overcame the initial problems
6.
RUR-5 ASROC
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The RUR-5 ASROC is an all-weather, all sea-conditions anti-submarine missile system. The ASROC has been deployed on scores of warships of other navies, including Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan. In addition, the goal was to take advantage of modern sonars with a larger detection range. An extended range torpedo delivered by parachute from the air would allow warships the stand-off capability to attack submarines with very little advance notice to the hostile submarine. The RAT program came in three phases, RAT-A, RAT-B and RAT-C, RAT-A were efforts to develop a compact and economical stand-off ASW for smaller warships, but were found to be either unreliable or had too short a range. RAT-C was a program to develop a stand-off ASW weapon that used a depth charge. This would require a range of at least 8,000 yards to escape potential damage from the underwater blast, unlike the original RAT program rockets, the RAT-C was considerably larger to accomplish the extended range needed and was to be fitted to larger warships. With the failure of both the RAT-A and RAT-B programs, RAT-C was redesigned from a stand-off nuclear ASW weapon to one that could use not only a depth charge. To obtain the accuracy needed, the RAT-C rocket launcher had to be redesigned with larger side fins and this program finally combined reliability and accuracy, along with the necessary stand-off range. However, before RAT-C reached initial operational status in 1960 aboard the large US Navy destroyer leader USS Norfolk, the first ASROC system using the MK-112 Matchbox launcher, was developed in the 1950s and installed in the 1960s. This system was phased out in the 1990s and replaced with the RUM-139 Vertical Launch ASROC, after a surface ship, patrol plane or anti-submarine helicopter detects an enemy submarine by using sonar or other sensors, it could relay the subs position to an ASROC-equipped ship for attack. The attacking ship would fire an ASROC missile carrying an acoustic homing torpedo or a W44 Nuclear Depth Bomb onto an unguided ballistic trajectory toward the target. Water entry activates the torpedo, which is guided by its own sonar system, the W44 nuclear depth charge entered service in 1961, but was never used beyond one or two tests before the Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty banning underwater nuclear tests went into effect. A total of 575 weapons were produced, the W44 weighed 170 pounds with a diameter of 13.75 inches and length of 25.3 inches. Following payload separation, the unguided W44 sank quickly to a depth where the 10-kiloton warhead detonated. The nuclear-armed ASROC was never used in combat, w44-armed ASROC missiles were retired by 1989, when all types of nuclear depth bombs were removed from deployment. The 31 U. S. Navy Spruance-class destroyers were all built with the Mark 16 Mod 7 ASROC Launching Group and these had one standard Mark 112 octuple ASROC launcher, located immediately above a reload system holding an additional 16 assembled rounds. Thus, each Spruance-class destroyer originally carried a total of 24 ASROC
7.
Harpoon (missile)
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The Harpoon is an all-weather, over-the-horizon, anti-ship missile system, developed and manufactured by McDonnell Douglas. In 2004, Boeing delivered the 7, 000th Harpoon unit since the introduction in 1977. The missile system has also further developed into a land-strike weapon. The regular Harpoon uses active homing, and a low-level. The missiles launch platforms include, Fixed-wing aircraft Surface ships Submarines, Coastal defense batteries, in 1965 the United States Navy began studies for a missile in the 45 kilometres range class for use against surfaced submarines. The name Harpoon was assigned to the project, Harpoon was primarily developed for use on US Navy warships such as the Ticonderoga-class cruiser as their principal anti-ship weapon system. The Harpoon was purchased by many American allies, including Pakistan, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, the United Arab Emirates and most NATO countries. The Royal Australian Air Force is capable of firing AGM-84 series missiles from its F/A-18F Super Hornets, F/A-18A/B Hornets, and AP-3C Orion aircraft, the Royal Australian Navy deploys the Harpoon on major surface combatants and in the Collins-class submarines. The Spanish Air Force and the Chilean Navy are also AGM-84D customers, and they deploy the missiles on ships, and F/A-18s, F-16s. The British Royal Navy deploys the Harpoon on several types of surface ship, the Royal Canadian Navy carries Harpoon missiles on its Halifax-class frigates. The Republic of Singapore Air Force also operates five modified Fokker 50 Maritime Patrol Aircraft which are fitted with the sensors needed to fire the Harpoon missile, the Pakistani Navy carries the Harpoon missile on its frigates and P-3C Orions. The Turkish Navy carries Harpoons on surface warships and Type 209 submarines, the Turkish Air Force will be armed with the SLAM-ER. S. Navy Knox-class frigates and the four former USN Kidd-class destroyers which have sold to Taiwan. The two Zwaardvis/Hai Lung submarines and 12 P-3C Orion aircraft can use the missile. The Block 1 missiles were designated AGM/RGM/UGM-84A in US service and UGM-84B in the UK, Block 1B standard missiles were designated AGM/RGM/UGM-84C, Block 1C missiles were designated AGM/RGM/UGM-84D. This version featured a fuel tank and re-attack capability, but was not produced in large numbers because its intended mission was considered to be unlikely following the events of 1991–92. Block 1D missiles were designated RGM/AGM-84F, Block 1G missiles AGM/RGM/UGM-84G, the original SLAM-ER missiles were designated AGM-84H and later ones the AGM-84K. Block 1J was a proposal for an upgrade, AGM/RGM/UGM-84J Harpoon
8.
RIM-7 Sea Sparrow
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RIM-7 Sea Sparrow is a US ship-borne short-range anti-aircraft and anti-missile weapon system, primarily intended for defense against anti-ship missiles. In this incarnation it was a simple system, guided by a manually aimed radar illuminator. After its introduction, the system underwent significant development into a system similar to other US Navy missiles like the RIM-2 Terrier. Improvements made to the Sparrow for the role led to similar improvements in the Sea Sparrow through the 1970s and 80s. After that point the role passed to the AIM-120 AMRAAM. It now resembles the AIM-7 only in form, it is larger, faster and includes a new seeker. Fifty years after its development, the Sea Sparrow remains an important part of an air defense system. High-speed jet aircraft flying at low altitudes presented a threat to naval forces in the late 1950s. This gave the aircraft an enormous advantage over earlier weapons such as bombers or torpedo bombers. Further improving the capabilities of aircraft against ships were a variety of precision-guided weapons and these systems allowed the aircraft to launch their attacks from outside the range of shipboard anti-aircraft weapons, in relative safety. Only the presence of defensive fighters operating at long ranges from the ships could provide cover against these attacks, US Navy doctrine stressed long-range air cover to counter both high-speed aircraft and missiles, and development of newer short range defenses had been largely ignored. While the Navy was developing expensive long-range fighters like the Douglas F6D Missileer, most ships were left with older weapons, the introduction of sea-skimming missiles dramatically increased the threat against these ships. Unlike the earlier generation of missiles, sea-skimmers approached at low level, like an attack aircraft. The missiles were relatively small and much harder to hit than an attacking aircraft, while the older defenses might be considered a credible threat to a large aircraft at low altitude or a missile approaching at higher altitudes, against a sea-skimming missile they were useless. The US Army faced a similar problem defending against attacks by high-speed jet-powered attack aircraft, in this case the local horizon was generally even more limited, blocked by trees and hills, and engagement times could be measured in seconds. Missiles, on the hand, could progressively tune their approach while they were flying toward the target. These same basic engagement parameters - high-speed and the associated fleeting sighting times - applied to sea-skimming aircraft, the Navy intended to adapt the Mauler to shipboard use by removing its search radar and wiring it into the existing ship-borne radar systems instead. The 9-box launcher and illuminator radar would be retained in a compact mount
9.
Phalanx CIWS
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The Phalanx CIWS is a close-in weapon system for defense against anti-ship missiles. It was designed and manufactured by the General Dynamics Corporation, Pomona Division, a land based variant, known as C-RAM, has recently been deployed in a short range missile defense role, to counter incoming rockets and artillery fire. Because of their distinctive barrel-shaped radome and their nature of operation. The Phalanx Close-In Weapons System was developed as the last line of automated weapons defense against anti-ship missiles and attacking aircraft, including high-g, subsequently, the Phalanx Operational Suitability Model successfully completed its Operational Test and Evaluation on board the destroyer USS Bigelow in 1977. The model exceeded operational maintenance, reliability, and availability specifications, another evaluation successfully followed, and the weapon system was approved for production in 1978. Phalanx production started with orders for 23 USN and 14 foreign military systems, the first ship fully fitted out was the aircraft carrier USS Coral Sea in 1980. The Navy began placing CIWS systems on non-combatant vessels in 1984 and this proven system was combined with a purpose-made mounting, capable of fast elevation and traverse speeds, to track incoming targets. Due to this nature, Phalanx is ideal for support ships. The entire unit has a mass between 12,400 to 13,500 lb, due to the continuing evolution of both threats and computer technology, the Phalanx system has, like most military systems, been developed through a number of different configurations. The basic style is the Block 0, equipped with first-generation, solid-state electronics, the Block 1 upgrade offered various improvements in radar, ammunition, computing power, rate of fire, and an increase in maximum engagement elevation to +70 degrees. These improvements were intended to increase the systems capability against emerging Russian supersonic anti-ship missiles, Block 1A introduced a new computer system to counter more maneuverable targets. The Block 1B PSuM adds a forward-looking infrared sensor to make the weapon effective against surface targets and this addition was developed to provide ship defense against small vessel threats and other floaters in littoral waters and to improve the weapons performance against slower low-flying aircraft. The FLIRs capability is also of use against low-observability missiles and can be linked with the RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile system to increase RAM engagement range, the Block 1B also allows for an operator to visually identify and target threats. As the system manager, the U. S. Navy is in the process of upgrading all their Phalanx systems to the Block 1B configuration. All U. S Navy Phalanx systems are scheduled for upgrade to Block 1B by the end of FY2015, another system upgrade is the Phalanx 1B Baseline 2 radar to improve detection performance, increase reliability, and reduce maintenance. S. Navy Phalanx system-equipped vessels by FY2019, the Block 1B is also used by other navies, such as Canada, Portugal, Japan, Egypt, Bahrain, and the UK. In May 2009, the US Navy awarded a million contract to Raytheon Missile Systems to perform upgrades. The CIWS is designed to be the last line of defense against anti-ship missiles, due to its design criteria, its effective range is very short relative to the range of modern ASMs, from 1 to 5 nautical miles
10.
Kaman SH-2 Seasprite
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The Kaman SH-2 Seasprite is a ship-based helicopter originally developed in the late 1950s as a fast utility helicopter for the United States Navy. In the 1970s, anti-submarine, anti-surface threat capabilities were added to the design and it served with the U. S. Navy from the 1960s until the last SH-2G helicopters were retired in 2001. In 1956, the U. S. Navy launched a competition to meet its requirement for a compact, kamans K-20 model was selected as the winner. Kaman was awarded a contract for four prototype and 12 production HU2K-1 helicopters in late 1957, kamans design was for a conventional helicopter powered by a single General Electric T58-8F turboshaft engine, driving a 44-foot four-bladed main rotor and a four-bladed tail rotor.5 million. Abruptly, Kaman raised the price to $23 million, and there was concern that the manufacturers weight. The Naval Board decided to wait until after the US Navy had conducted sea trials before approving the purchase and these trials revealed the HU2K to be overweight and underpowered, and thus incapable of meeting Canadian requirements. Hence, in late 1961, the Sikorsky Sea King was selected, upon enactment of the 1962 United States Tri-Service aircraft designation system, the HU2K-1 was redesignated UH-2A and the HU2K-1U was redesignated UH-2B. In service, the UH-2 Seasprite would see several modifications and improvements, beginning in 1968, the Navys remaining UH-2s were extensively remanufactured, their single engines being replaced by a twin-engine arrangement. The UH-2 was selected to be the airframe for the interim Light Airborne Multi-Purpose System helicopter in October 1970, LAMPS evolved in the late 1960s from an urgent requirement to develop a manned helicopter that would support a non-aviation ship and serve as its tactical Anti-Submarine Warfare arm. H-2s reconfigured for the LAMPS mission were redesignated SH-2D, on 16 March 1971, the first SH-2D LAMPS prototype first flew. The full LAMPS I system was equipped on the SH-2F, the SH-2F was delivered to the Navy beginning in 1973. This variant had upgraded engines, longer life rotor, and higher take-off weight, in 1981, the Navy ordered 60 production SH-2Fs. Beginning in 1987,16 SH-2Fs were upgraded with chin mounted Forward Looking Infrared Sensors, Chaff /Flares, dual rear mounted IR scramblers, eventually all but two H-2s then in Navy inventory were remanufactured into SH-2Fs. The final production procurement of the SH-2F was in Fiscal Year 1986, the last six orders for production SH-2Fs were switched to the SH-2G Super Seasprite variant. The UH-2 began entering service in 1962. The Navy would operate a fleet of nearly 200 Seasprites for various duties, such as anti-submarine warfare, search and rescue. Typically, several UH-2s would be deployed upon a carrier to perform plane guard. In October 1966 alone, out of 269 downed pilots, helicopter-based SAR teams were able to recover 103 men
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United States
United States Navy
Spanish Navy
