Sikorsky MH-60 Jayhawk

Sikorsky · United States · first flew 1989 · helicopter

The MH-60 Jayhawk is the US Coast Guard's medium-range search-and-rescue helicopter, a Black Hawk derivative optimised for long over-water missions.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	High-mounted, rotary
E — Engines	2 × turboshaft, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	Low, flat fuselage with a canted tail rotor, like a Black Hawk in Coast Guard colours
T — Tail	Conventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Low, flat fuselage with a canted tail rotor, like a Black Hawk in Coast Guard colours
Four-blade main rotor and twin engines
Orange-and-white US Coast Guard search-and-rescue colour scheme

The Coast Guard's orange-and-white colour scheme over the familiar Black Hawk-family airframe, with its canted tail rotor, is the quickest identifier.

Specifications

The Sikorsky MH-60 Jayhawk has a length of 19.76 m (65 ft).
It has a wingspan of 16.36 m (54 ft).
Its maximum speed is 333 km/h (207 mph).
Typical crew: 2 pilots plus crew.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Adapted from the Sikorsky Black Hawk/Seahawk family, the Jayhawk entered Coast Guard service to extend rescue range and payload beyond the earlier HH-3F Pelican, adding extra fuel capacity and rescue equipment.

Variants

It shares its basic airframe with the Navy's Seahawk family, and the Coast Guard also operates the shorter-range MH-65 Dolphin for closer-in work.

Where you'll see it

Jayhawks fly Coast Guard search-and-rescue and law-enforcement missions from US coastal air stations; they are not operated by UK forces, which rely on other types for equivalent duties.

Related aircraft

AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 5,024 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.