JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. — The U.S. Air Force accepted the first of 26 Sikorsky HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopters here November 2, as the machines begin to arrive at “America’s Airfield.” The aircraft will replace the base’s aging UH-1N Hueys, which have supported a wide range of contingency response and senior leader transport in the National Capital Region for over 50 years.
Air Force leaders, along with Under Secretary of the Air Force Matthew Lohmeier and Vice Chief of Staff Gen. John D. Lamontagne, attended the historic ceremony and watched as Col. Kevin Geoffroy, commander of the 316th Operations Group, hand over the keys to the helicopter to Lt. Col. Jonathan Bonilla, commander of the 5th Helicopter Squadron.
Sikorsky wrote about the event on X, saying: “A new chapter for Air Force rotary-wing operations begins at America's Airfield. Building on a legacy Andrews Airmen have earned over decades supporting our nation’s capital, they’ll now carry that mission forward with the HH-60W Jolly Green II.”
The 5th Helicopter Squadron, activated on August 27, 2026—the first new Air Force helicopter squadron at Andrews in 60 years—will lead training and startup of the new helicopters. The historic 1st Helicopter Squadron, established in 1969 and crewed by UH-1N Hueys since 1971 (including three helicopters from Vietnam), will continue to operate around the clock in support of Andrews’ critical national capital mission until all aircraft have been replaced. They will fall under the 316th Wing.
“America’s Airfield” is rapidly modernizing to protect our great nation. “Our leaders recognized the need for change and decided to rapidly modernize the equipment that we use to protect our nation,” said 316th Wing and installation commander Col. Karl W. Seekamp. “This critical mission deserves the modern capability and safety upgrades that are available today,” he said. Lt. Col. Bonilla said that while the air force is honoring the legacy of the UH-1N, “we must remember this while we, as an Air Force, continue to look into the future.”
The HH-60W is based on the UH-60M Black Hawk, manufactured by Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company. Compared to the UH-1N, the HH-60W has a larger airframe and greater fuel capacity. It can fly 25 percent faster and travel twice the distance. It has the ability to carry three times the amount of airlift as a UH-1N. The aircraft will have modern avionics and a glass cockpit. The Air Force’s program of record calls for approximately 113 HH-60W’s to be purchased for the primary mission of combat search and rescue. The HH-60W achieved Initial Operating Capability in 2022. Modified HH-60W’s will be assigned to Andrews AFB with certain combat rescue equipment such as gun systems, armor and specialized rescue equipment removed. The cabin will be configured to allow for approximately 11 passengers with a gray paint scheme to allow for operational flexibility. Airandspaceforces.com reports that familiarization training with Sikorsky will begin in 2027. The planned date for Initial Operational Capability for the fleet of helicopters at Andrews is 2029. Full Operational Capability is planned for 2030. During the transition, crews will be dual qualified on both the UH-1N and HH-60W in order to allow for continuous coverage of mission requirements.
Approximately 60 active duty personnel will be added to support the new aircraft. Previous attempts to replace the Huey had looked at a number of alternative aircraft before settling on the modified version of the HH-60W.
Sikorsky’s newest Jolly Green II will continue to support the contingency response, Defense Support of Civil Authorities, and priority airlift of senior leaders of the Department of Defense. Closing a long era of Huey operations over our nation’s capital the Jolly Green II will begin a new mission at “America’s Airfield” in support of the mission of the long-standing 1st Helicopter Squadron.
