The U.S. Coast Guard’s HH-65C Upgrade Program: New Tricks for the Dolphin

The U.S. Coast Guard’s fleet of HH-65 Dolphins is one of the most visible assets operated by America’s fifth armed service. Selected to meet the requirements of the Guard’s Short Range Recovery (SRR) mission in 1979, the HH-65 was built in the United States on the basis of the commercial AS365 Dauphin, thereby presaging the later UH-72 Lakota light utility helicopter (LUH) program. The HH-65A formally entered service in 1985, and in 2004 the service decided to pursue a re-engining plan for the Dolphin in support of the Deepwater program, resulting in the HH-65C. This paper will review the requirements which drove the HH-65C initiative, the execution of this program, and the resulting improvement in capabilities. The paper will also consider future enhancements planned and considered for the HH-65C fleet in support of the Multi-Mission Cutter Helicopter (MCH) effort, along with the application of the Dolphin fleet to other roles.