|
Helicopter Antisubmarine
Squadron ELEVEN was established on 27. June 1957 at Naval Air Station
NAS Quonset Point, Rhode Island. The primary mission of the Seabat was
Antisubmarine Warfare (ASW) utilizing a dipping sonar. Later models of
the Seabat were upgraded with Doppler radar and automatic stabilization
and hover capabilities for all-weather operations. The HS-11 "Sub
Seekers" were assigned to CVSG-52 with the tail code AS and deployed
onboard USS Wasp CVS-18.
In 1962, the squadron transitioned to the Sikorsky twin engine SH-3A Sea
King and would later upgrade to the SH-3D and SH-3H in 1969 and 1980,
respectively. The Sub Seekers history has many distinguished highlights.
In November 1962, HS-11 sailed to the Caribbean onboard USS Wasp to
enforce the Cuban quarantine. Later that decade, the squadron played a
leading role in astronaut recovery operations during the Gemini missions,
plucking from the sea such famed astronauts as White, McDivitt, Lovell,
and Aldrin.
In December 1969, HS-11
became the first ASW helicopter squadron to deploy as part of a modern
carrier air wing with CVW-17 onboard USS Forrestal CVA 59. From
1970-1973, HS-11 was assigned to CVSG-56 deploying onboard USS Intrepid
CVS-11 with the tail code AU. On 17. October 1973, HS-11 moved to its
new homeport of NAS Jacksonville and was re-assigned to CVW-1 where it
remains assigned to this day.
In 1976, the squadron was
awarded the Navy Unit Commendation for saving countless lives after ship
collisions at sea while attached to USS JOHN F KENNEDY. Over the years,
HS-11 has the answered the domestic call for help numerous times in
support of hurricane relief efforts, including Hurricane Andrew in 1993.
In 1999, squadron SAR swimmers rescued nine men whose ship was sunk
during Hurricane Floyd in winds over 50 knots and seas measuring 30 feet.
In 1989, HS-11 changed its
official call sign to Dragonslayers. HS-11 has made deployments onboard
USS John F. Kennedy CV-67, USS America CV-66, USS George Washington
CVN-73, USS Theodore Roosevelt CVN-71 and USS Enterprise CVN -65.
In 1994, HS-11 transitioned to the Sikorsky SH-60F and HH-60H Seahawk.
The capabilities of this latest airframe allowed the squadron to greatly
expand its mission areas. In addition to ASW and Search and Rescue, the
Dragonslayers now added such missions as Vertical Replenishment, Naval
Special Warfare Support, and Combat Search and Rescue to its
capabilities. With the addition of the Hellfire missile system and .50
caliber machine gun in 1999, HS-11 became capable of effectively
conducting Antisurface Warfare.
In September 2008, as Hurricane Ike swept through Galveston, TX, HS-11
was the first Navy squadron on-station just hours after the hurricane
moved overland. In January 2010, the squadron detached four aircraft
onboard the USS Carl Vinson CVN-70 and sailed to Haiti in support of
Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief operations following the 7.0
magnitude earthquake. In 2012, HS-11 once more made its mark in history
while embarked onboard the USS Enterprise CVN-65, serving with honor and
distinction during the "Big E's" final deployment.
Most recently, the Dragonslayers deployed aboard the USS Theodore
Roosevelt CVN-71 in support of Operation Inhert Resolve. HS-11 rescued
four souls, flew over 3,000 hours, executed four detachments to CAMP
BEUHRING, KUWAIT, and achieved a 99% on-time launch rate. With seven
aircraft aboard (3 SH-60Fs and 4 HH-60Hs), this marked the final
deployment of these two series of aircraft, and the final deployment of
an HS squadron. HS-11 returned to NAS Jacksonville in November, 2015,
followed by a transition to Naval Station Norfolk during the summer of
2016.
On 1. June 2016, HS-11 became Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron Eleven
(HSC-11), marking the final step in the Rotary Wing Master Plan of
transitioning all HS squadrons to HSC, and phasing out the SH-60F and
HH-60H series. HSC-11 is proposed to be safe for flight 30. September
2016, flying the MH-60S Seahawk. |