USAF Jolly Green IIs Rescue Five After Navy MH-60S Hard Landing
US Air Force HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopters recover five US Navy personnel from mountainous terrain after their MH-60S Seahawk made a hard landing during a high-altitude training flight.
A US Air Force rescue operation has successfully extracted five US Navy personnel from mountainous terrain near Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California, after their MH-60S Seahawk made a hard landing during a high-altitude training flight.
The incident occurred on August 10, 2026, and the 88th Test and Evaluation Squadron (88 TES) at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, was notified by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center at approximately 11:30 local time.
| Feature | HH-60W Jolly Green II | HH-60S Seahawk | | --- | --- | --- |
The squadron recalled its crews, coordinated with the Navy unit involved, and tasked the 355th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (355 AMXS) with generating the aircraft. The 355 AMXS was on a scheduled training day when the tasking arrived and had two HH-60Ws ready in under 30 minutes.
However, one of the two helicopters was at risk of being grounded by a recurring circuit breaker trip, with no spare part on hand. Staff Sergeant Cody Adams, a 355 AMXS avionics craftsman, diagnosed the master caution warning press-to-reset button as the cause of the circuit breaker to pop and provided aircrew with a workaround to keep the system operational and allow on-time takeoff.
The helicopters departed Nellis at 13:00 local time and crews established two-way radio contact with the Navy personnel and identified them visually at 15:00. A pararescue team reached the landing zone and found no injuries. The team then had the helicopters reposition to a closer landing area rather than move the stranded Navy crew on foot.
All five were extracted by 15:50 and delivered to their squadron's ramp at China Lake. The HH-60Ws returned to Nellis.
The HH-60W Jolly Green II is a purpose-built rescue variant of the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk. It features an in-flight refueling probe and an enlarged main fuel tank providing 480 nautical miles of unrefueled range, a 600-pound hoist with 250 feet of cable, and a personnel locating system that works with survival radios. The type also carries missile, radar, and laser warning receivers tied to an automatic chaff and flare dispenser, and two crew-served 7.62mm or .50 caliber machine guns. This equipment is intended for recovering isolated personnel under fire, as the type did over Iran in April 2026.
The successful rescue operation highlights the capabilities of the HH-60W Jolly Green II in extracting personnel from challenging environments.
The HH-60W Jolly Green II has been designed for combat rescue from the outset, with a range of features that enable it to operate in high-risk environments. Its ability to extract personnel without injury is a testament to the skill and training of the aircrew involved in the operation.
The incident also highlights the importance of effective communication and coordination between military units in responding to emergency situations. The swift response of the 88th Test and Evaluation Squadron and the 355th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron ensured that the rescue operation was carried out safely and efficiently.
The successful rescue of the five US Navy personnel is a welcome outcome, and it is a testament to the capabilities of the HH-60W Jolly Green II in extracting personnel from challenging environments.
