HSC-26 Squadron Update

Live AGM-114 Launched in the Arabian Gulf

By LT Harrison Davis, LT Peter Fulton, and LT Megan Howard

On June 2nd, 2021, the Desert Hawks of HSC-26.1, forward deployed in Manama, Bahrain, participated in a multinational AOMSW (Air Operations in Maritime Surface Warfare) exercise in the Arabian Gulf. This exercise was designed to increase interoperability between partner forces and to demonstrate our robust military capabilities to regional adversaries. U.S. Navy rotary aircraft, fixed wing aircraft, and surface vessels worked in close concert with Gulf Cooperation Council forces in a series of live fire exercises, including crew-served weapons from Cyclone-Class Coastal Patrol ships, and ordnance employment from Strike aircraft. The exercise concluded with a Photo-Ex of all participants.

The Desert Hawks, a unit traditionally focused on combat logistics, were tasked with employing a live AMG-114 Hellfire missile in the Arabian Gulf as part of the exercise. HSC-26.1 came to appreciate the unique difficulties of planning an exercise of such a large scale in a disputed AOR. The challenges of ensuring uniform cryptographic load amongst all partner forces, acquiring and loading an AGM-114 Hellfire missile after launching from an international airport, and communicating the limitations and nuances of rotary wing aviation to surface commanders were apparent over the weeks of planning and provided vital lessons to the detachment and 5th Fleet Task Force Commanders.

One of HSC-26.1’s primary roles in the exercise was to employ an AGM-114 Hellfire missile against a floating target, a “Killer Tomato”. The first leg of the flight required two MH-60S aircraft to lillypad to a Cruiser to load the missile; the evolution required the Desert Hawks to provide their own maintenance team to load the Hellfire missile. With the Hellfire loaded, a full tank of gas, and a hot, humid, summer day in the Arabian Gulf, the crew utilized procedures honed over hundreds of flights to safely maneuver the aircraft in an extremely power-limited shipboard environment. Both aircraft safely launched and awaited clearance from the SCAR (Strike Coordination and Reconnaissance) asset, a MH-60R from the mighty Swamp Foxes of HSM-74. Range clearance proved to be a difficult task due to the abundance of small vessels and friendly surface assets

Famous 11 fueling aboard the Cruiser

Overall, the exercise was a powerful demonstration of the U.S. Navy’s capabilities to employ ordnance in a disputed environment and expanded the Desert Hawks role in Air Operations in Maritime Surface Warfare. The event also shed light on minor coordination issues that will help to enhance future interoperability, including ordnance procurement, communication, airspace coordination, fuel management, and range clearance. The breakdown in communication, combined with the surface asset’s slow response to instructions from the SCAR, put both Desert Hawk aircraft near the edge of their fuel required. Moving forward, airborne assets must convey clear and concise information to surface assets regarding time-on-station limitations and the urgency associated with such limitations. With these lessons learned, the Desert Hawks look forward to another opportunity to showcase the HSC Community’s powerful capabilities to our partners and adversaries alike.

Famous 12 and crew aboard the Cruiser with AGM-114 loaded.