CommunityEditor
01-26-2009, 08:27 PM
The Navy is expanding and streamlining the helicopter fleet, offering young rotary-wing aviators more career flexibility in the coming years.
The Navy has added three rotary-wing squadrons during the past several years, and plans to stand up seven more by 2019, Navy officials said.
Today’s fleet of 7,700 enlisted sailors will grow to about 9,100 in the next 10 years, and the number of officers is slated to rise to 1,775, up from today’s level of about 1,400, Navy officials said.
“There will be a lot more command opportunities for people to get promoted. And that will follow on the enlisted side — the opportunity to make chief will increase,” said Cmdr. Michael Stoll, the helicopter readiness officer for Naval Air Forces.
At the same time, the Navy is scaling back the number of helicopter types in the fleet, dropping from seven models to just two: the MH-60R and the MH-60S.
Those two aircraft will be taking on more missions than before, including anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare and mine sweeping.
For helicopter pilots, the new configuration will allow more variety because fewer platforms will be doing more missions.
“The junior pilots will get to fly more in different environments,” said Cmdr. Michael Nortier, commanding officer of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 71. “Now you’ll have an opportunity to move back and forth between expeditionary and air wing squadrons.”
More squadrons — especially concentrated in the areas of San Diego; Norfolk, Va.; and Jacksonville, Fla. — will also mean more options for enlisted sailors to settle down, buy a house and keep their kids in the same schools.
“It’s going to allow folks to stay in one place as they do their sea-shore rotation,” said Cmdr. Michael Ruth, commanding officer of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 8.
Many of the new rotary-wing slots are getting filled with aviators moving over from the S-3 Viking community, which just had a squadron complete the community’s final deployment.
Article: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2009/01/navy_helos_012609w/
The Navy has added three rotary-wing squadrons during the past several years, and plans to stand up seven more by 2019, Navy officials said.
Today’s fleet of 7,700 enlisted sailors will grow to about 9,100 in the next 10 years, and the number of officers is slated to rise to 1,775, up from today’s level of about 1,400, Navy officials said.
“There will be a lot more command opportunities for people to get promoted. And that will follow on the enlisted side — the opportunity to make chief will increase,” said Cmdr. Michael Stoll, the helicopter readiness officer for Naval Air Forces.
At the same time, the Navy is scaling back the number of helicopter types in the fleet, dropping from seven models to just two: the MH-60R and the MH-60S.
Those two aircraft will be taking on more missions than before, including anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare and mine sweeping.
For helicopter pilots, the new configuration will allow more variety because fewer platforms will be doing more missions.
“The junior pilots will get to fly more in different environments,” said Cmdr. Michael Nortier, commanding officer of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 71. “Now you’ll have an opportunity to move back and forth between expeditionary and air wing squadrons.”
More squadrons — especially concentrated in the areas of San Diego; Norfolk, Va.; and Jacksonville, Fla. — will also mean more options for enlisted sailors to settle down, buy a house and keep their kids in the same schools.
“It’s going to allow folks to stay in one place as they do their sea-shore rotation,” said Cmdr. Michael Ruth, commanding officer of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 8.
Many of the new rotary-wing slots are getting filled with aviators moving over from the S-3 Viking community, which just had a squadron complete the community’s final deployment.
Article: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2009/01/navy_helos_012609w/