Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 9 (HSC-9) "Tridents" is a

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which Lift (force), lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning Helicopter rotor, rotors. This allows the helicopter to VTOL, take off and land vertically, to hover (helicopter), hover, and ...

squadron based at

Naval Air Station Norfolk A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations ...

Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. It had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in Virginia, third-most populous city ...

(United States). The squadron is equipped with the

Sikorsky MH-60S Seahawk The Sikorsky SH-60/MH-60 Seahawk (or Sea Hawk) is a twin turboshaft engine, multi-mission United States Navy helicopter based on the United States Army UH-60 Black Hawk and a member of the Sikorsky S-70 family. The most significant modificati ...

. Currently, HSC-9 is attached to

Carrier Air Wing Eight Carrier Air Wing Eight (CVW-8), is a United States Navy aircraft carrier air wing based at Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia. The air wing is attached to the aircraft carrier Mission The mission of Carrier Air Wing Eight is: " conduct offens ...

. It was originally established as Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron 3 (HS-3) in 1952 and was redesignated on 1 June 2009.

Mission

Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron Nine's primary mission is to employ the versatility of the MH-60S helicopter to support the strike group commander's objectives, with emphasis on

Anti-Surface Warfare Anti-surface warfare (ASuW or ASUW) is the branch of naval warfare concerned with the suppression of surface combatants. More generally, it is any weapons, sensors, or operations intended to attack or limit the effectiveness of an adversary's ...

(ASUW),

Combat Search and Rescue Combat search and rescue (CSAR) are search and rescue operations that are carried out during war that are within or near combat zones. A CSAR mission may be carried out by a task force of helicopters, ground-attack aircraft, aerial refueling ta ...

(CSAR), support of

Special Operations Special operations or special ops are military activities conducted, according to NATO, by "specially designated, organized, selected, trained, and equipped forces using unconventional techniques and modes of employment." Special operations ma ...

, and

Vertical Replenishment Vertical replenishment, or VERTREP, is a method of supply of seaborne vessels by helicopter. The United States Department of Defense defines VERTREP as: ...the transfer of cargo between ships using helicopters. VERTREP is often used to supplemen ...

(VERTREP). Secondary missions include

Anti-Ship Missile An anti-ship missile (AShM or ASM) is a guided missile that is designed for use against ships and large boats. Most anti-ship missiles are of the sea-skimming variety, and many use a combination of inertial guidance and active radar homing. ...

defense and

Medical Evacuation Medical evacuation, often shortened to medevac or medivac, is the timely and efficient movement and en route care provided by medical personnel to patients requiring evacuation or transport using medically equipped air ambulances, helicopters and ...

(MEDEVAC).

History

Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron 3 (HS-3)

HSC-9 was established as Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron Three (HS-3) on 18 June 1952, at the Naval Air Facility Elizabeth City,

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

. The Tridents commenced operations flying the Piasecki HUP-2S Retriever helicopter, and later transitioned to the

Sikorsky HO4S The Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaw (company model number S-55) is a multi-purpose piston-engined helicopter that was used by the United States Army and United States Air Force. It was also license-built by Westland Aircraft as the Westland Whirlwind ...

and Sikorsky HSS-1 Seabat helicopters. In 1959 the squadron received the Sikorsky HSS-1N Seabat giving it the capability to operate at night. HS-3 was the first Atlantic Fleet operational squadron to operate the gas turbine powered HSS-2 Sea King in 1961. In September 1962 in compliance with the

1962 United States Tri-Service aircraft designation system The Tri-Service aircraft designation system is a unified system introduced in 1962 by the United States Department of Defense for designating all U.S. military aircraft. Previously, the U.S. armed services used United States military aircraft de ...

the HSS-2 Sea King was redesignated the SH-3A Sea King. In 1967 the squadron received the SH-3D, and finally the SH-3H TACNAV equipped helicopter in 1979. Additionally in 1982, HS-3 became the first squadron to deploy with the

AQS-13 The AN/AQS-13 series was a helicopter dipping sonar system for the United States Navy. These systems were deployed as the primary inner zone anti-submarine warfare (ASW) sensor on aircraft carrier based helicopters for over five decades. Companio ...

E Sonar Data Computer. HS-3 was first deployed aboard and in late 1956, flying the

HSS-1 Seabat The Sikorsky H-34 (company designation S-58) is an American piston-engined military utility helicopter originally designed by Sikorsky as an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft for the United States Navy. A development of the smaller Sikor ...

. This was followed by assignments to , , and , in 1958–60. From 1960 to 1970, HS-3 was assigned to Carrier Anti-Submarine Air Group 56 (CVSG-56). CVSG-56 was first assigned to ''Valley Forge'' before moving to , in 1961. HS-3 then transitioned to the Sikorsky HSS-2/SH-3A Sea King. In 1962, on board , HS-3 participated in the naval blockade of Cuba. The Air Group was reassigned to in 1962 until she was deployed as an attack carrier to

Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

in 1966. The Tridents began an active role in the space program on 24 May 1962, when then CO Commander J. M. Wondergem picked up Lieutenant Commander M. S. Carpenter from his ''Aurora 7'' spacecraft and delivered him to ''Intrepid''. Astronauts Carpenter, Grissom,

Young Young may refer to: * Offspring, the product of reproduction of a new organism produced by one or more parents * Youth, the time of life when one's age is low, often meaning the time between childhood and adulthood Music * The Young, an America ...

, Collins,

Gordon Gordon may refer to: People * Gordon (given name), a masculine given name, including list of persons and fictional characters * Gordon (surname), the surname * Gordon (slave), escaped to a Union Army camp during the U.S. Civil War * Gordon Heuck ...

Conrad Conrad may refer to: People * Conrad (name) * Saint Conrad (disambiguation) Places United States * Conrad, Illinois, an unincorporated community * Conrad, Iowa, a city * Conrad, Montana, a city * Conrad Glacier, Washington Elsewher ...

, McDivitt,

Scott Scott may refer to: Places Canada * Scott, Quebec, municipality in the Nouvelle-Beauce regional municipality in Quebec * Scott, Saskatchewan, a town in the Rural Municipality of Tramping Lake No. 380 * Rural Municipality of Scott No. 98, Sas ...

, and Schweickart all ended their space journeys with rides aboard HS-3 helicopters. In 1967, CVSG-56 and HS-3 again deployed aboard ''Randolph'', having received the SH-3D Sea King. Two years later, CVSG-56 was reassigned to and then to ''Intrepid'' in 1970. HS-3 was then reassigned to

Carrier Air Wing Seventeen Carrier Air Wing Seventeen (CVW-17), is a United States Navy aircraft carrier air wing based at Naval Air Station Lemoore, California. The air wing is attached to the aircraft carrier . Mission To conduct carrier air warfare operations and assi ...

aboard . In the early 1970s, the squadron participated in the relief of Tunisian flood victims, rescuing or relocating 630 people while transporting over of food and medical supplies. In recognition of this humanitarian support, the squadron was awarded the

Meritorious Unit Commendation The Meritorious Unit Commendation (MUC; pronounced ''muck'') is a mid-level unit award of the United States Armed Forces. The U.S. Army awards units the Army MUC for exceptionally meritorious conduct in performance of outstanding achievement or ...

. In July 1976, a detachment from HS-3 went aboard ''Forrestal'' and participated in the

United States Bicentennial The United States Bicentennial was a series of celebrations and observances during the mid-1970s that paid tribute to historical events leading up to the creation of the United States as an independent republic. It was a central event in the memo ...

celebrations in

New York Harbor New York Harbor is a bay that covers all of the Upper Bay. It is at the mouth of the Hudson River near the East River tidal estuary on the East Coast of the United States. New York Harbor is generally synonymous with Upper New York Bay, ...

. Squadron personnel participated in some of the publicity events leading up to the actual ringing of ''Forrestal''s bell on 4 July 1976. HS-3 won the Battle "E" in 1973 and 1978 as well as the Isbell Trophy in 1974 and 1978. In 1979, HS-3 received the SH-3H Sea King. From 1984 to 1991, CVW-17 and HS-3 were reassigned to . HS-3 was awarded two

Navy Unit Commendation The Navy Unit Commendation (NUC) is a United States Navy and United States Coast Guard unit award that was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 18 December 1944. History Navy A navy, naval force, military m ...

s for operational accomplishments and outstanding maintenance efforts during the 1985-86

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...

and Indian Ocean deployment on board ''Saratoga''. The Tridents won three consecutive Battle "E" Awards for 1985, 1986 and 1987. They also won back-to-back Isbell Trophies in 1986 and 1987. In 1990, the Tridents enforced

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

sanctions against Iraqi trade while deployed on board the ''Saratoga'' in the

Red Sea The Red Sea is a sea inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. Its connection to the ocean is in the south, through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden. To its north lie the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and th ...

. HS-3 conducted an actual Helicopter Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (HVBSS) with a special forces boarding team to "take down" a hostile merchant ship during

Operation Desert Shield , combatant2 = , commander1 = , commander2 = , strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems , page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...

Operation Desert Storm Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...

. HS-3 was awarded a Navy Unit Commendation for the combat support they provided in the campaign. The squadron returned home in early 1991 and was the first Atlantic squadron to transition to the Sikorsky SH-60F/HH-60H Seahawk. After transition to the SH-60F and HH-60H Seahawk in 1991, HS-3 was assigned to CVW-8 aboard , in 1993. Preparations for the squadron's 1995 Mediterranean deployment were interrupted when the Tridents were called on to support

Operation Uphold Democracy Operation Uphold Democracy was a multinational military intervention designed to remove the military regime led and installed by Raoul Cédras after the 1991 Haitian coup d'état overthrew the elected President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. The op ...

during the military intervention in Haiti. HS-3 provided the sole Navy maritime SAR, CSAR and special operations support. The Tridents deployed one week after the completion of Uphold Democracy and flew in support of

Operation Deny Flight Operation Deny Flight was a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) operation that began on 12 April 1993 as the enforcement of a United Nations (UN) no-fly zone over Bosnia and Herzegovina. The United Nations and NATO later expanded the ...

over Bosnia-Herzegovina. During this deployment, HS-3 also flew the first actual CSAR mission by an HS squadron since the Vietnam era to search for the crew of a downed French

Mirage A mirage is a naturally-occurring optical phenomenon in which light rays bend via refraction to produce a displaced image of distant objects or the sky. The word comes to English via the French ''(se) mirer'', from the Latin ''mirari'', mean ...

fighter. In 1997, HS-3 deployed aboard to the Mediterranean Sea and the

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...

. The Tridents again deployed aboard ''Theodore Roosevelt'' in March 1999 and headed straight into the first of two conflicts. During

Operation Noble Anvil The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) carried out an aerial bombing campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. The air strikes lasted from 24 March 1999 to 10 June 1999. The bombings continued until an ag ...

, HS-3 supported combat operations against Serbia in Kosovo. Once a cease-fire was agreed upon, ''Theodore Roosevelt'' transited the Persian Gulf to support maritime interdiction operations and enforce

no-fly zone A no-fly zone, also known as a no-flight zone (NFZ), or air exclusion zone (AEZ), is a territory or area established by a military power over which certain aircraft are not permitted to fly. Such zones are usually set up in an enemy power's terri ...

s over southern Iraq. In August, HS-3 conducted a successful HVBSS to a freighter violating UN sanctions. The operation seized $3.5 million in Iraqi contraband. During this demanding deployment, HS-3 lifted over of cargo and completed over 2,000 small deck landings. HS-3 was awarded the Battle "E" for 1999. In April 2001, HS-3 deployed aboard . In response to the

terror attacks The following is a list of terrorist incidents that were not carried out by a state or its forces (see state terrorism and state-sponsored terrorism). Assassinations are presented in List of assassinations and unsuccessful attempts at List of ...

on the

World Trade Center World Trade Centers are the hundreds of sites recognized by the World Trade Centers Association. World Trade Center may also refer to: Buildings * World Trade Center (1973–2001), a building complex that was destroyed during the September 11 at ...

and

the Pentagon The Pentagon is the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense, in Arlington County, Virginia, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. The building was constructed on an accelerated schedule during World War II. As ...

, the Tridents conducted sustained operations in support of

Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was the official name used by the U.S. government for both the first stage (2001–2014) of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) and the larger-scale Global War on Terrorism. On 7 October 2001, in response ...

in Afghanistan. The Tridents deployed in 2003 aboard ''Theodore Roosevelt'' after a compressed inter-deployment readiness cycle. During the course of the deployment, HS-3 conducted ASW, logistics, and SAR operations in support of

Operation Iraqi Freedom The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with the invasion by a United States-led coalition, which resulted in the overthrow of the Ba'athist governm ...

. In September 2008, after completing a lengthy training cycle, the Tridents deployed aboard ''Theodore Roosevelt'' to the

Arabian Sea The Arabian Sea () is a region of sea in the northern Indian Ocean, bounded on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, Gulf of Aden and Guardafui Channel, on the northwest by Gulf of Oman and Iran, on the north by Pakistan, on the east by India, and ...

in support of combat operations in Afghanistan. Along the way, HS-3 took part in a historic visit to

Cape Town Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...

, South Africa. ''Theodore Roosevelt'' was the first U. S. carrier to visit Cape Town in over 40 years. Once arriving on-station in the CENTCOM AOR, the Tridents flew plane guard, anti-terrorism force protection, anti-surface warfare, logistics, and anti-submarine warfare in direct support of Operation Enduring Freedom and maritime security operations during the 2008-2009 deployment. The Tridents also detached three HH-60H aircraft to and subsequently to for two months. This detachment supported

Combined Task Force 151 Combined Task Force 151 (CTF-151) is a multinational naval task force, set up in 2009 as a response to piracy attacks in the Gulf of Aden and off the eastern coast of Somalia. Its mission is to disrupt piracy and armed robbery at sea and to engag ...

counter-

piracy Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and valuable goods, or taking hostages. Those who conduct acts of piracy are call ...

operations in the

Gulf of Aden The Gulf of Aden (; ) is a deepwater gulf of the Indian Ocean between Yemen to the north, the Arabian Sea to the east, Djibouti to the west, and the Guardafui Channel, the Socotra Archipelago, Puntland in Somalia and Somaliland to the south. ...

. The Tridents assisted in apprehending 16 suspected pirates and paved the way for future operations in the region. In 2008, HS-3 won the CNAF Aviation Battle Efficiency, Commander, Naval Aviation Safety Center Safety "S", and the CAPT A. J. Isbell Trophy.

Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 9 (HSC-9)

On 16 April 2009, the Tridents returned home to

Naval Air Station Jacksonville Naval Air Station Jacksonville (NAS Jacksonville) is a large naval air station located approximately south of the central business district of Jacksonville, Florida, United States., effective 2007-10-25 Location NAS Jacksonville is located i ...

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

, from their final cruise as a Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron. During this year, the Tridents received the Jimmy Thach award for excellence in Anti-Submarine Warfare, an end cap to the squadron's legacy as an Anti-Submarine squadron. In May, the squadron started its permanent duty station change from Naval Air Station Jacksonville to

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

and airframe change to the

MH-60S Seahawk The Sikorsky SH-60/MH-60 Seahawk (or Sea Hawk) is a twin turboshaft engine, multi-mission United States Navy helicopter based on the United States Army UH-60 Black Hawk and a member of the Sikorsky S-70 family. The most significant modificati ...

. On 1 June 2009, the Tridents were redesignated Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron NINE (HSC-9). On 13 January 2010, the Tridents sent two helicopters in support of

Operation Unified Response Operation Unified Response was the United States military's response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake. It was conducted by Joint Task Force Haiti and commanded by United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) Military Deputy Commander Lieutenant Gen ...

, providing humanitarian aid and disaster relief following the devastating

Haiti earthquake Some of the earthquakes in Haiti have been very destructive to the country. The widespread damage and high-number of casualties of events in 2010 and 2021 can be partially blamed on the fact that most of the population in Haiti resides in structur ...

. Squadron personnel spent three months deployed aboard and off the coast of Haiti, delivering over of disaster relief supplies and completing 240 MEDEVAC missions on the beleaguered island. The Tridents also brought ashore over of sustainment supplies and made 1,300 passenger transfers in support of the Operation. HSC-9 was reassigned to Carrier Airwing 8 embarked in , deploying to the Mediterranean Sea and the Persian Gulf in 2011, 2014, and 2017. In 2021, CVW-8 was re-assigned to .

Squadron aircraft

Piasecki HUP Retriever The Piasecki HUP Retriever or H-25 Army Mule, later UH-25, is a compact single radial engine, twin overlapping Tandem rotors, tandem rotor utility helicopter developed by the Piasecki Helicopter, Piasecki Helicopter Corporation of Morton, Pennsyl ...

, 1952-1953

, 1954-1956
Sikorsky HSS Seabat, * HSS-1, 1956-1958 * HSS-1N, 1958-1961 Sikorsky H-3 Sea King * HSS-2/SH-3A, 1961-1967 (designation changed from HSS-2 to SH-3A in Sep 1962) * SH-3D, 1967-1979 * SH-3H, 1979-1991

Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk The Sikorsky SH-60/MH-60 Seahawk (or Sea Hawk) is a twin turboshaft engine, multi-mission United States Navy helicopter based on the United States Army UH-60 Black Hawk and a member of the Sikorsky S-70 family. The most significant modificati ...

* SH-60F, 1991–2009 * HH-60H, 1991–2009 * MH-60S, 2009–present

Squadron awards

SAR Excellence Award "Golden Wrench" Maintenance Award 2012 "Battle E"

References

External links

Public.navy.mil
{{DEFAULTSORT:HSC-9 Helicopter sea combat squadrons of the United States Navy Military units and formations established in 1956 1956 establishments in Virginia