An SH-60B Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to the “Vipers” of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light (HSL) 48, prepares to take off from the flight deck of the Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided-missile frigate USS Underwood (FFG 36). (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Frank J. Pikul/Released)
When you are a 400~ foot long ship, it gets a little tight sometimes when conducting heli operations, especially when you consider a Sea Hawk has a 63-foot long fuselage and a 50+ foot wide rotor span.
Sadly, both the aircraft and vessel are history.
Commissioned 1983, Underwood was decommissioned on March 8, 2013 after 30 years of hard service. She has been stricken from the Naval List and is berthed at NAVSEA Inactive Ships, Philadelphia, PA, in Maintenance Category X, awaiting disposal, likely by scrapping or SINKEX.
The Navy does still use the HH-60 frame, though in its more modern MH-60 variant, the last SH-60’s being retired from active duty in May 2015.
In light of this move, HSL-48, whose ‘Hawk is shown above, is now HSM-48 but is still the “Vipers” and still based at Mayport.
