U.S. Navy Establishes MH-60R-Equipped Helicopter Squadron

The U.S. Navy has established a new helicopter squadron, Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 50, onboard Naval Air Station (NAS) Mayport, Florida, Oct. 1.

Primarily, HSM-50 “Valkyries” will be fully equipped with MH-60R Seahawks and will provide expeditionary aviation detachments in support of littoral combat ships and expeditionary independent deployers to meet global force management missions.

The MH-60R Seahawk, a versatile multi-mission platform, is used to support a number of operations spanning: Anti-Submarine Warfare, Electronic Warfare, Surface Warfare, Command and Control, Non-Combat Operations, and Fleet Support for Operations and Logistics. It can also integrate mission systems with other ships to provide early warning indications of surface contacts and longer range pursuit of subsurface contacts.

HSM-50 is expected to conduct a formal establishment ceremony in the summer of 2022 and the squadron will fall under Helicopter Maritime Strike Wing Atlantic.