Notes on the funding (LACK OF) of HSC-84 & HSC-85

[Rick Meussner]

Notes on the funding of US NAVY HSC-84 Red Wolves & HSC-85 Fire Hawks

Projecting Military force requirements into the future, one can readily see that “conventional” warfare as we experienced in World War II and Korea, are no longer our primary focus.  Conventional Forces Army, Navy Air Force and Marine Corps, continue to lead our national defense efforts.

Special Warfare components of our Military Force have grown immensely in the last 50 years and is projected to constitute a greater proportion of our Defense in the future. Special Operations forces have played an increasingly important role in Counter-Insurgency Viet Nam War, the continuing Wars on Terrorism, the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the various Joint Special operations exercises in Africa, Asia, The Mid-East, Central and South America.

In 2006, the Navy resurrected the Riverine Force component of Navy Special Warfare, (NSW), similar to but greatly enhanced from the River Patrol Forces used in Viet Nam.

In Viet Nam, The Navy’s Riverine and NSW (SEAL) Forces were initially directed to rely on the Army for Helicopter Combat Support.  The use of Army assets in support of Naval Maritime and Riverine forces failed and the Navy was forced to establish its own Helicopter Combat Support Unit. The Helicopter Attack (Light) Squadron - 3, (HAL-3) Seawolves were commissioned in 1967 and flew loaned, obsolete, Army UH-1B Helicopter gunships; these aircraft were upgraded and maintained to Navy Standards. The Seawolves went on to become one of the most highly regarded Navy Units in the Viet Nam Era. HAL-3 was decommissioned in 1972 as the Viet Nam War was winding down on the basis of funding and the idea that NSW wouldn’t need dedicated Special Helicopter Support.

The Navy Viet Nam Veteran members of NSW, Gamewardens and Seawolves, attempted in 2006 to convince the Navy of the need for dedicated Close Air Combat Support for the new Naval Expeditionary Combat Command, (NECC). The Navy opted again to rely on other forces for most direct fire support requirements.

HAL-4 and HAL-5 were commissioned in 1976 and 1977 respectively, as Helicopter Gunship units, who’s missions evolved over the years. They became Helicopter Combat Special Support Squadrons - HCS-4/5, (1989 – 2006), HCS-4 again evolved to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron – HSC-84. HSC-5 was decommissioned in 2006 and reestablished in 2011 and HSC-85.

The Navy, again, plans to decommission HSC-84 and HSC-85 in 2016.

In the Words of President Obama in January, 2012, (from Defense Strategic Guidelines) “Going forward, we will also remember the lessons of history and avoid repeating the mistakes of the past when our military was left ill-prepared.”

We can now see that history is again repeating itself.

Special Operations Units from All Services have had occasion to use close air combat support from HSC-84 and HSC-85. These two Navy Squadrons constitute 45% of all Special Operations Helicopter aircraft. The Army has 30; The Navy has 24.

Loss of HSC-84 and HSC-85 will greatly impair Special Operations mission capability.
The Navy and SOCOM both agree on the need and importance of keeping The Red Wolves and Fire Hawks in service. With HSC-84 & 85 continuing in service along with the Army’s 160th SOAR, SOCOM will still have a significant shortfall of Special Operations Helo-lift.

NOTE: HSC-84 & 85 are unique in the Navy. They are joint Active – Reserve Units. Both are a mix of Active Duty personnel and Reserves. The Squadrons are attached to Special Operations and not part of the Navy’s Fleet Arm.

Neither the NAVY nor SOCOM wants to fund the squadrons.

[Rick Meussner]

Both Red Wolves and Fire Hawks have requested our help in contacting members of Congress to help keep these squadrons from being de-funded and decommissioned in 2016. The process has begun and it now appears that it is going to take an act of Congress to save them.

Please contact your Congressmen, Reps - Sens or both, to help put pressure on the Navy and/or SOCOM to step up and fund them.

I have a slew of documents that I've been working on with Capt. Sean Butcher, former CO of HSC-84 and Cdr. Jay Gagne, former CO, HSC-85, and some print outs that may be useful to the congressmen.

FOR HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
House Armed Sercices Committee - http://armedservices.house.gov/index.cfm/members
Seapower and Projectrion Sub Committee - http://armedservices.house.gov/index.cfm/seapower-projection-forces
Intelligence, Emerging Threats and Capabilities, (Special Operations) Subcommittee - http://armedservices.house.gov/index.cfm/emerging-threats-and-capabilities
Tactical Air and Land Forces (Aircraft Acquisition)- http://armedservices.house.gov/index.cfm/tactical-air-and-land-forces

For SENATE
http://www.armed-services.senate.gov/
http://www.senate.gov/general/committee_membership/committee_memberships_SSAS.htm#SSAS14

[Suds]

Rick,
not sure where you got your aircraft info. The NightStalkers, 160th SOAR, are the primary aircraft operators for special forces. They came about because of the miserable lack of support and coordination when we tried to make a mix of forces that really didn't know how to work together resulting in the desert tragedy in the failed Iranian hostage raid.

This is the current line up of Night Stalker assets:

The 160th SOAR .
 
Current inventory
Aircraft Type               Inventory
MH/AH-6M Little Bird             51
MH-47G Chinook                     61
MH-60M Black Hawk             72
Total                                   184

Not sure where you got the 20 figure for Army assets,
in 2013 they flew almost 28,000 flight hours, that would be a lot for 30 aircraft?
 45% Navy, don't think so?
And I didn't count all the AirForce Pave Low helicopters MH53 J & M models who exist mostly for combat SAR and  spec ops. "The MH-53J's mission is to perform low-level, long-range, undetected penetration into denied areas, day or night, in adverse weather, for infiltration, exfiltration and resupply of special operations forces."

I'd guess the Navy is closer to 10% than 45%.

Mike

[Suds]

"Not sure where you got the 20 figure for Army assets"
sorry meant 30, but still WAY off.
Mike

[Rick Meussner]

Mike,

I see you looked up 160 SOAR on Wikipedia. The numbers you have presented are there.

The H-60 populations I've referred to are the units dedicated to SOCOM, which are 2nd, 3rd & 4th Batallions.

If there are 30 Army Blackhawks in 2, 3 & 4th Batallions and 24 Seahawks in HSC-84 & 85, the math suggests losing those 24 from the inventory results in a decrease of 44.4% capability for SOCOM.

I see the 28K flight hours mentioned for all 160th SOAR aircraft.'hawks, but don't know what percentage of those hours were for SOCOM. In FY 2013, the actual numbers of hours flown are shown in another thread on this Forum. approx 7500 total hours of which 36% SOF Training, 32% deployed Ops., & 32% internal Training.

Following is what I found for 160th SOAR, doesn't breakdown the flight hours by A/C model...

http://www.fortcampbellcourier.com/article_ad72c560-7492-11e3-bd89-0019bb2963f4.html
\
160th SOAR
Posted: Thursday, January 2, 2014 6:00 pm
160th SOAR Compiled by Maj. Allen Hill, Staff Sgt. Rick Branch

1st Battalion
The year saw a significant increase by 1st Battalion, 160th SOAR in the pressure exerted on enemy safe havens. The 1st Battalion accumulated more than 12,560 hours in support of Special Operations Forces.
The battalion’s companies executed more than 35 Helicopter Air-to-Air Refuel events, during which 25 aircrews conducted 1,140 HAAR hook-ups, limiting the requirement for land-based refueling.  In 2013, a total of 35 aircraft were placed through phase, 19 A/MH-6 and 16 MH-60’s.

2nd Battalion
The 2nd Battalion, 160th SOAR rapidly deploys worldwide providing special operations heavy and medium assault helicopter support to Special Operations Forces in all environments
During this award period, the first MH-60M Black Hawk company in the Army was activated.  The battalion flew 5,700 hours consisting of 397 missions, accumulating over 2,710 combat flight hours, 93 percent under night vision goggles and in the most dangerous and hostile enemy and environmental conditions.

3rd Battalion
The 3rd Battalion, 160th SOAR is a tested and proven war-fighting unit, continuously deployed worldwide since February, 2002. Battalion elements conduct long-range, low-level penetrations deep into enemy territory supporting U.S. and international Special Operations Forces.
As of September, the unit has flown more than 7,100 hours in support of combat, contingency and training support missions.  This includes more than 3,300 hours in combat and 3,800 hours of bilateral training with USSOCOM.

4th Battalion
The 4th Battalion, 160th SOAR maintains its commitment to excellence conducting training and combat operations in support of the special operations community.
During fiscal year 2013, the battalion flew more than 5,600 hours in support of mission requirements.  This included more than 2,000 hours while supporting 52 USSOCOM requests from all four Special Operations Commands and three Joint Combined Exchange Training exercises in the PACOM area of responsibility.

In any case the purpose of the post is to save NSW's Helo assets