AS-61
| SH-3 Sea King | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| US Navy SH-3H Sea King helicopters | |
| Role | ASW/SAR/utility helicopter |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Sikorsky Aircraft |
| First flight | 11 March 1959 |
| Introduction | 1961 |
| Retired | Retired by United States Navy in 2006 |
| Status | In service |
| Primary users |
United States Navy (historical) Italian Navy Brazilian Navy Argentine Naval Aviation |
| Produced | 1959–1970s |
| Unit cost |
$6.4 million
|
| Variants |
Sikorsky S-61L/N Sikorsky S-61R Sikorsky CH-124 Sea King Westland Sea King |
 SH-3 at NAS Oceana Airshow, 2004
|
|
|
External and cockpit footage of Sea King start up and take off
|
The Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King (company designation S-61) is an American twin-engined anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter designed and built by Sikorsky Aircraft. A landmark design, it was the world's first amphibious helicopter and one of the first ASW rotorcraft to use turboshaft engines.
The Sea King has its origins in efforts by the United States Navy as a means of counteracting the growing threat of Soviet submarines during the 1950s. Accordingly, the helicopter was specifically developed to deliver a capable ASW platform; in particular, it combined the roles of hunter and killer, which had previously been carried out by two separate helicopters. The Sea King was initially designated HSS-2, which was intended to imply a level of commonality to the earlier HSS-1; it was subsequently re-designated as the SH-3A during the early 1960s.
Introduced to service in 1961, it was operated by the United States Navy as a key ASW and utility asset for several decades prior to being replaced by the non-amphibious Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk in the 1990s. In late 1961 and early 1962, a modified U.S. Navy HSS-2 Sea King was used to break the FAI 3 km, 100 km, 500 km and 1000 km helicopter speed records. The Sea King also performed various other roles and missions such as search-and-rescue, transport, anti-shipping, medevac, plane guard, and airborne early warning operations. Several Sea Kings, operated by the United States Marine Corps's HMX-1 unit, are used as the official helicopters of the President of the United States, for which the call sign 'Marine One' would be used.
...
Wikipedia