MH-53 Pave Low

HH-53 "Super Jolly Green Giant" MH-53 Pave Low
A MH-53 Pave Low from the 20th Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Florida
Role	Heavy-lift helicopter
Manufacturer	Sikorsky Aircraft
First flight	15 March 1967
Retired	30 September 2008
Status	Retired
Primary user	United States Air Force
Produced	1967–1970
Number built	72
Unit cost	MH-53J: US$40 million (2001)
Developed from	Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallion

The Sikorsky MH-53 Pave Low series is a long-range combat search and rescue (CSAR) helicopter for the United States Air Force. The series was upgraded from the HH-53B/C, variants of the Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallion. The HH-53 "Super Jolly Green Giant" was initially developed to replace the HH-3 "Jolly Green Giant". The helicopters later transitioned to Special Operations missions. The U.S. Air Force's MH-53J/M fleet was retired in September 2008.

The US Air Force ordered HH-53B and HH-53C variants for Search and Rescue units, and developed the MH-53J Pave Low version for Special Operations missions.

The Pave Low's mission was low-level, long-range, undetected penetration into denied areas, day or night, in adverse weather, for infiltration, exfiltration and resupply of special operations forces. Pave Lows often work in conjunction with MC-130H Combat Talon for navigation, communications and combat support, and with MC-130P Combat Shadow for in-flight refueling.

The large green airframe of the HH-53B earned it the nickname "Super Jolly Green Giant". This name is a reference to the smaller HH-3E "Jolly Green Giant", a stretched variant of the H-3 Sea King, used in the Vietnam War for combat search-and-rescue (CSAR) operations.

The US Air Force regarded their Sikorsky S-61R/HH-3E "Jolly Green Giant" long-range combat search and rescue (CSAR) helicopters favorably and was interested in the more capable S-65/CH-53A. In 1966, the USAF awarded a contract to Sikorsky for development of a CSAR variant of the CH-53A.