Feature Clear Direction for the Jack of All Trades: Confidently Defining a Role for the Expeditionary MH-60 Sierra Community in Future Conflicts By LTJG Jackson Cotney, USN
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s the MH-60S carrier squadrons transition their footprint within the carrier strike group (CSG), now is a good time for their counterpart, the expeditionary squadrons, to reassess and refocus on the critical skills and roles that make them valuable to the amphibious assault force and its future engagements. For a long while, the Sierra community has prided itself on its wide array of mission sets, serving as the Swiss Army knife of the sea-going air wing. We have become local experts on everything from ship-to-ship vertical replenishment, strike group defense and security, and search and rescue at sea, to ship-to-shore logistics and special operations support. With other worthy squadrons and groups that perform each one of these missions in a more directed focus, the Sierra seems to provide redundant capabilities. The Romeo pilots hunt submarines, and the Air Force rotary pilots are the world’s best at combat search and rescue. The Army is great at the DUSTOFF medical mission and the carrier Sierra squadrons are integral to the strike group with logistics runs and plane guard, but what exactly is the expectation of the expeditionary Sierra community? Expeditionary squadrons have a clear training cycle and general idea of the order of a peacetime deployment afloat, but no solid position for a great power conflict. The wide skill set of many missions makes the Sierra pilot an adaptable and well-rounded aviator with a broad swath of experiences and skills, but leaves no specific area to hang our hat on.
"An overload of tasks and diverse knowledge across different mission sets quickly creates conversation of real world applicability in future engagements. " An overload of tasks and diverse knowledge across different mission sets quickly creates conversation of real world applicability in future engagements. The training syllabus blindly follows a multitude of avenues in which the helicopter is capable without great introspection on the bigger picture. This leads the community to an identity crisis: what will our tasks actually be when America’s enemies come knocking? Sure, we CAN do any of the numerous missions that we currently advertise with average proficiency, but will we actually get the chance when the task arises? Or will those tasks continue to be directed to more specialized units? We can better prepare ourselves for the realities of the future organization and potential conflict by clearly defining where WE think we should be placed and having the confidence and training experience in those specified areas. Instead of wondering which competency we will need to achieve next, we
Rotor Review #156 Spring '22
can advertise ourselves for the problems we are uniquely adept at tackling. This comes with a mindset geared toward finding a solution, and not just identifying a problem, through the assertiveness, clear communication, and confidence that we already expect from fleet aviators. The expeditionary Sierra community must adapt to fill gaps that are important tasking areas for national security as well as within the capability and training of the pilots and machinery. The skill sets that battle commanders and ground force element leaders should be able to quickly direct to the expeditionary Sierra squadrons are combat logistics, long-range maritime personnel recovery (PR), and Maritime Interdiction Operations (MIO)/Helicopter Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (HVBSS). These competencies are historically relevant to Naval Rotary Wing Aviation, and will become critical components of future engagements at sea. Combat Logistics The phrase “no one flies without supply” is not only frequently sung by SUPPOs across the sea wall, but should also be an area that the expeditionary squadron will champion in future wars. The primary threats in the South China Sea will be countered by combatants spread few and far between, and these elements will need constant stores of the beans, bullets, and band-aids required to wage war. The Sierra VERTREP experience and payload capabilities, as well as its ability to operate from mobile supply platforms, should make it the first choice for combat commanders to count on to keep troops adequately stocked. No other service, community, or platform focuses on the consistent supply chain problem in the maritime environment or presents as capable a platform to bring stores from ships across the archipelagos and island groupings from which we could be operating. When no runways are available and small teams of combat troops are spread across a broad swath of territory, ground commanders will need to be able to count on a steady stream of resources from mobile platforms. Long-Range Maritime Personnel Recovery With integrated air defenses growing in both size and capability, and future conflicts including enemies with aircraft just as capable as the US fleet of fighters, we have to accept that the military will suffer casualties greater than ever before. Because of the Sierra community's operations across a large number and types of ships and expanded global footprint, expeditionary squadrons should be prepared to be the closest resource, even covering huge distances, to the downed aviators. This presents a unique challenge that is vastly different
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