Helicopter Operations

Dynamic images of various military helicopters in flight, demonstrating air support and training operations in diverse terrains and conditions.

Blackhawk helicopter from the U.S. Air Force, military airfield of the German Federal Armed Forces and the ISAF, Feyzabad, Feyzabad, Faizabad, Badakhshan, Afghanistan, Asia

Blackhawk helicopter from the U.S. Air Force, military airfield of the German Federal Armed Forces and the ISAF, Feyzabad, Feyzabad, Faizabad, Badakhshan, Afghanistan, Asia

030207-F-1789V-002. Subject Operation/Series: CAPSTONE Base: Point Bravo State: Nevada (NV) Country: United States Of America (USA) Scene Major Command Shown: ACC

An Mh-60R Seahawk attached to Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 46 flies a daytime familiarization flight during a training detachment at Naval Air Station Fallon, April 20, 2022. Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 7 is the offensive air and strike component of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 10 and the George H.W. Bush CSG. The squadrons of CVW-7 are Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 143, VFA-103, VFA-86, VFA-136, Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 140, Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 121, HSC-5, and Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 46.

Two Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 133 (NMCB-133) survey a stretch of runway at an Iraqi airfield as two CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter arrive overhead. The airfield, which had been under construction prior to the start of the Persian Gulf war, is being repaired by coalition engineer units so relief supplies can be flown in for nearby Kurdish refugees as part of Operation Provide Comfort. Subject Operation/Series: PROVIDE COMFORT Base: Sirsenk Country: Iraq(IRQ)

An Mh-60R Seahawk attached to Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 46 flies a daytime familiarization flight during a training detachment at Naval Air Station Fallon, April 20, 2022. Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 7 is the offensive air and strike component of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 10 and the George H.W. Bush CSG. The squadrons of CVW-7 are Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 143, VFA-103, VFA-86, VFA-136, Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 140, Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 121, HSC-5, and Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 46.

Two HH-60H SEAHAWK helicopters head back to home station after successfully hitting a simulated target at range B-17 during a Hellfire demonstration for DESERT RESCUE IX. Desert Rescue is the premiere Search And Rescue (SAR) training exercise involving Navy, Army, Air Force, and Marine personnel. It is conducted at the ranges of Fallon Naval Air Station, Nevada. Subject Operation/Series: DESERT RESCUE IX Base: Naval Air Station, Fallon State: Nevada (NV) Country: United States Of America (USA)

A HH-60W from the 512th Rescue Squadron demonstrated brownout landings for Vertical Magazine. This was part of a two week documentation of the 58th Special Operations Wing at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. April 20, 2022.

DF-ST-86-07651. Base: Amman Air Base Country: Jordan (JOR)

An HH-60H SEAHAWK helicopter heads back to home station after successfully hitting a simulated target at range B-17 during a Hellfire demonstration for DESERT RESCUE IX. Desert Rescue IX is the premiere Search And Rescue (SAR) training exercise involving Navy, Army, Air Force, and Marine personnel. It is conducted at the ranges of Fallon Naval Air Station, Nevada. Subject Operation/Series: DESERT RESCUE IX Base: Naval Air Station, Fallon State: Nevada (NV) Country: United States Of America (USA)

A UH-1Y Venom, top, and a AH-1W Super Cobra, bottom, both with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 369, land at a forward area refueling point during Operation Desert Tantrum outside of El Centro, Calif., March, 14. The exercise allowed HMLA-369 to carry out crucial training while their usual refueling zone was taken.

060322-A-7969G-001. Base: Bayji State: Salah Ad Din Country: Iraq (IRQ) Scene Major Command Shown: 101ST AB DIVISION

040805-A-2703S-001. Base: Camp Babylon Country: Iraq (IRQ)

Jordanian Armed Forces conduct air maneuvers and attack with the Bell AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter during Exercise Eager Lion in Jordan, Sept. 11, 2022. Eager Lion 22 is a multilateral exercise hosted by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, designed to exchange military expertise, and improve interoperability among partner nations.

A Tunisian Armed Forces soldier conducts a fast rope descent from a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter onto the battlefield during a combined arms live-fire exercise at the Ben Ghilouf Training Area in Tunisia, June 25, 2022. African Lion 2022 is U.S. Africa Command's largest, premier, joint, annual exercise hosted by Morocco, Ghana, Senegal and Tunisia, June 6 - 30. More than 7,500 participants from 28 nations and NATO train together with a focus on enhancing readiness for U.S. and partner nation forces. AL22 is a joint all-domain, multi-component, and multinational exercise, employing a full array of mission capabilities with the goal of strengthening interoperability among participants and setting the theater for strategic access.

A CH-47 Chinook Makes a Dusty Landing

A U.S. Air Force HH-60 assigned to the 46th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron flies in formation in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Mar. 15, 2023.The 1st Expeditionary Rescue Group performed a formation flight, fly over and group workout honoring the seven service members who made the ultimate sacrifice on March 15, 2018, in the helicopter crash of "Jolly 51" that was flying contingency operations in support of Operation INHERENT RESOLVE.

A U.S. Air Force HH-60 assigned to the 46th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron flies in formation in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Mar. 15, 2023.The 1st Expeditionary Rescue Group performed a formation flight, fly over and group workout honoring the seven service members who made the ultimate sacrifice on March 15, 2018, in the helicopter crash of "Jolly 51" that was flying contingency operations in support of Operation INHERENT RESOLVE.

Tikrit, Iraq - An AH-64D Apache Longbow Block III attack helicopter waits for an OH-58 Kiowa to clear his flight space

U.S. Soldiers with 2-104th General Support Aviation Battalion, 28th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade, train in a downed aircraft scenario with Soldiers with the 82nd Airborne Division in the 28th ECAB's area of operations in the Middle East.

U.S. Marine Corps CH-53E Super Stallions assigned to the Aviation Combat Element, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit land during Northern Viking 2022, in Miðsandur, Iceland, April 11, 2022. Northern Viking 22 strengthens interoperability and force readiness between the U.S., Iceland and Allied nations, enabling multi-domain command and control of joint and coalition forces in the defense of Iceland and Sea Lines of Communication in the Greenland, Iceland, United Kingdom (GIUK) gap.

CAPT. Tony Grecio of Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 264 (HMM-264) relaxes beside his CH-46E Sea Knight helicopter in the military compound beside a refugee camp during Operation Provide Comfort, a multinational effort to aid Kurdish refugees in southern Turkey and northern Iraq. Subject Operation/Series: PROVIDE COMFORT Base: Zakhu Country: Iraq(IRQ)

A U.S. Marine Corps CH-53E Super Stallion assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 263 (Reinforced), 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, conducts an aerial supply mission during exercise EFES 2022, Izmir, Turkey, May 28, 2022. EFES22 is an international Combined Joint Live-Fire Exercise focused on increasing force readiness, promoting stability and prosperity in the region, and interoperability between the U.S., Turkey, and allied nations.

May 11, 2008 - An Afghan National Air Corps Mi-17 Hip helicopter hovers over a firing range near Kabul International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan.

A U.S. Marine Corps CH-53E Super Stallion aircraft assigned to Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1), executes an external lift of a non-functional rescue helicopter during Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) course 1-23 near Yuma, Arizona on Oct. 12, 2022. WTI is a seven-week training event hosted by MAWTS-1, providing standardized advanced tactical training and readiness, and assists in developing and employing aviation weapons and tactics.

Six U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk (Blackhawk) helicopters, takes off from the Egyptian desert during BRIGHT STAR '83, the joint U.S. and Egyptian military training exercise. Exact Date Shot Unknown. Subject Operation/Series: BRIGHT STAR '83 Country: Egypt (EGY)

970626-N-3962B-002. Subject Operation/Series: KERNEL BLITZ '97 Base: Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA) Scene Major Command Shown: I MEF

A United Arab Emirate C-17 Globemaster aircraft with 16th Airlift Squadron, UAE Air Force, departs from the Strategic Expeditionary Landing Field following an ammunition retrograde at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, California, Feb. 25, 2022. The U.S. Marine Corps and UAE maintain a close relationship through persistent bilateral training engagements and programs, enhancing each others ability to conduct counterterrorism operations, protect critical infrastructure, and support national defense.

An MH-60S Knighthawk, attached to Helicopter Sea combat Squadron (HSC) 5, participates in a simulated Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) at Naval Air Station Fallon. Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 7 is the offensive air and strike component of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 10 and the George H.W. Bush CSG. The squadrons of CVW-7 are Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 143, VFA-103, VFA-86, VFA-136, Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 140, Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 121, Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 5, and Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 46.

A U.S. Marine Corps UH-1Y Venom takes off during Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) course 2-22 at Laguna Army Airfield, Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona, April 2, 2022. WTI is a seven-week training event, hosted by Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One, which emphasizes the development of small task-organized unit experimentation across all warfighting functions, as well as enhance the battalion's ability to conduct command and control, fire-support planning, intelligence functions, and logistical support to distributed company level operations. This exercise continues support of 2d MARDIV's experimental battalion's assessment and mission essential task list-based pre-deployment training progression.

A U.S. Air Force HH-60 Pave Hawk, assigned to the 46th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron, receives fuel from an HC-130J Combat King II aircraft during a high-altitude aerial refueling as part of a combat search and rescue exercise over an undisclosed location, July 5, 2022. Air Force Central Command's ERQSs are organized, trained, equipped and postured to conduct full spectrum personnel recovery to include both conventional and unconventional combat rescue operations within the Central Command theater of operations. Special warfare operators assigned throughout the combined joint operational area conduct operations in support of Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve.

A UH-60 Black Hawk (Blackhawk) helicopter lifts a M-102 105mm howitzer during Operation Desert Shield. Subject Operation/Series: DESERT SHIELD Country: Saudi Arabia (SAU)

U.S. Marines with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 369, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW), land a UH-1Y Venom during a simulated tactical recovery of aircraft and personnel mission during exercise Steel Knight 23 onMarine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton, California, Dec. 6, 2022. Exercise Steel Knight provides 3rd MAW an opportunity to refine Wing-level warfighting in support of I Marine Expeditionary Forceand fleet maneuver.

Members of C Btry., 1ST Bn., 319th Air Field Arty. Regt., secure M-102 105mm towed howitzers to the slings of 2nd Battalion, 82nd Aviation Brigade UH-60 Black Hawk (Blackhawk) helicopters for a two-gun raid training mission during Operation Desert Shield. Subject Operation/Series: DESERT SHIELD Country: Saudi Arabia(SAU)

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, California (Sept. 2, 2022) - U.S. Marine Corps pilots with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 362 (Reinforced), 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, prepare to land a U.S. Marine Corps CH-53E Super Stallion during an Evacuation Control Center exercise. A force in readiness, the 13th MEU trains to rapidly respond to crises across all domains. Marines and Sailors of the 13th MEU are embarked aboard the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) conducting integrated training operations in U.S. 3rd Fleet.

051219-A-9297R-010. Subject Operation/Series: LIFELINE Base: Qasim Air Base State: Islamabad Country: Pakistan (PAK)

020525-F-2902B-001. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Base: Bagram Air Base State: Parwan Country: Afghanistan (AFG)

A 332d Air Expeditionary Wing HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter receives fuel from an HC-130J Combat King II aircraft, also assigned to the 332d AEW, in Southwest Asia June 12, 2022. The primary mission of the Pave Hawk is to conduct day or night personnel recovery operations into hostile environments to recover isolated personnel during conflict. The HH-60G is also tasked to perform military operations other than conflict, including civil search and rescue, medical evacuation, disaster response, humanitarian assistance, security cooperation/aviation advisory, NASA space flight support, and rescue command and control.

A Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 363 (HMH-363) CH-53D Sea Stallion helicopter lifts off after delivering a load of grain during the multinational relief effort OPERATION RESTORE HOPE. The grain, donated by Australia, is being delivered to Maleel by helicopter instead of truck convoy because it is suspected that the roads to the village have been mined. Subject Operation/Series: RESTORE HOPE Country: Somalia (SOM)

Silhouette of a U.S. Army National Guard OH-58 Kiowa in Colorado's Rocky Mountains.

An Arizona Army National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter from A Company 2-285th Assault Helicopter Battalion stationed in Phoenix slowly climbs into the air after filling a Bambi Bucket with canal water outside Rittenhouse Army Heliport, Queen Creek, Ariz., Dec. 12, 2014. The Guard members conducted wildland firefighting training using the bucket, capable of carrying nearly 530 gallons of water, to pickup and drop water onto target areas.

An AH-1Z Viper from Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 369, Marine Aircraft Control Group 38, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, lands after an air assault as part of exercise Summer Fury 22 at Camp Roberts, San Miguel, California, August 1, 2022. Summer Fury 22 enhances Marine-Air-Ground Task Force integration and increases aviation operations proficiency with realistic, relevant training to ensure the Marine Corps largest aircraft wing remains operationally excellent, interoperable, deployable on short notice and lethal when called into action.

A U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey tilt rotor aircraft comes in for a landing as part of an air assault during a Combined Arms Live Fire Exercise, or CALFEX, near Arta, Djibouti, Aug. 22, 2022. During the exercise, U.S. Army National Guard Soldiers assigned to Task Force Red Dragon, Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa, and members of the French Forces in Djibouti worked together to assault a simulated objective during a live-fire iteration. (Department of Defense photo by U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Thomas Johns)

Three USAF Sikorsky MH-60 Blackhawk combat search and rescue/special operations helicopters flying at Nellis AFB, NV. Sunrise Mountain in the background.

030815-M-7837W-062. Base: Ali Al Salem Air Base Country: Kuwait (KWT) Scene Major Command Shown: HMLA-169

HH-60 Pave HawkUS Air Force

030206-F-7203T-012. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Base: Camp Lemonier Country: Djibouti (DJI)

U.S. Marine Corps infantrymen with 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, aboard a UH-1Y Venom conduct insertion drills during Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) course 1-23 at K9 Village training complex, Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona, Oct. 8, 2022. WTI is a seven-week training event hosted by Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One, providing standardized advanced tactical training and certification of unit instructor qualifications to support Marine aviation training and readiness, and assists in developing and employing aviation weapons and tactics.

A Soviet-made Egyptian Mi-8 Hip helicopter prepares to land during the multinational joint service exercise Bright Star '85. Subject Operation/Series: BRIGHT STAR '85 Country: Egypt (EGY)

A Canadian army CH-135 helicopter transports troops during the combined United States/Canadian NATO exercise RENDEZVOUS '83. Subject Operation/Series: RENDEZVOUS '83 Base: Camp Wainwright State: Alberta (AB) Country: Canada (CAN)

An Alaska Army National Guard UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter assigned to 1-207th Aviation Regiment makes a tactical insertion at Malemute drop zone on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Dec. 2. The air crew conducted air assault training with the University of Alaska ROTC detachment during its end-of-semester training exercise. The Alaska Army National Guards General Support Aviation Battalion routinely trains with all branches of the military as well as civilian agencies to increase its operational interoperability and to be ready for a wide range of federal and state missions. (Alaska National Guard photo by Dana Rosso)

Service members from the Peace Vanguard Republic of Singapore Air Force and the Arizona Army National Guard trained together July 21 through August 29, 2022 at the Idaho National Guards Orchard Combat Training Center, completing day and night AH-64 Apache aerial gunnery operations. While at the OCTC, Peace Vanguard pilots and crews trained on several ranges for air-to-ground and air-to-air qualifications, including the Digital Air Ground Integrated Range. The DAGIR is one of three in the U.S. Army and allows air and ground units to train together while receiving accurate and real-time feedback on their performance.

A U.S. Air Force HH-60 Pave Hawk, assigned to the 46th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron, conducts a high-altitude aerial refueling with an HC-130J Combat King II aircraft, assigned to the 26th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron, during a combat search and rescue exercise over an undisclosed location, July 5, 2022. Air Force Central Commands ERQSs are organized, trained, equipped and postured to conduct full spectrum personnel recovery to include both conventional and unconventional combat rescue operations within the Central Command theater of operations. Special warfare operators assigned throughout the combined joint operational area conduct operations in support of Combined Joint Task Force -Operation Inherent Resolve.

December 12, 2009 - A U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter resupplies Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment at its outpost in Baba Saheb Ghar, in the Arghandab River Valley section of the Kandahar province of Afghanistan.

An Egyptian Westland Commando Mark 2 helicopter prepares to land during the multinational joint service exercise Bright Star '85. Subject Operation/Series: BRIGHT STAR '85 Country: Egypt (EGY)

DA-ST-85-04946. Subject Operation/Series: GALLANT EAGLE '84 Base: Camp San Luis Obispo State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

One Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopter performs a sling load delivering a vehicle and a weapon during a Swift Response 22 joint forcible entry exercise at the Krivolak Military Training Center in Negotino, North Macedonia, May 12, 2022. Exercise Swift Response 22 is an annual multinational training exercise, which takes place in Eastern Europe, the Arctic High North, Baltics, and Balkans from May 2-20, 2022. The purpose of the exercise is to present combat credible Army forces in Europe and Africa, and enhance readiness by building airborne interoperability with Allies and Partners and the integration of joint service partnership.

ATLANTIC OCEAN (Oct. 31, 2020) Aviation Boatswains Mate (Handling) 3rd Class LeAundre Johnson, left, from Jacksonville, Fla., and Aviation Boatswains Mate (Handling) Airman Apprentice Ronald Swinford, from Armarillo, Texas, direct an MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopter assigned to the “Golden Eagles” of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 162 (Reinforced) to launch aboard the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7), Oct. 31, 2020. Iwo Jima is conducting training in the Atlantic Ocean with Amphibious Squadron Four and the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit as part of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group.

A U.S. Army AH-64D Apache Longbow with 25th Combat Aviation Brigade flies overhead during a joint terminal attack controllers training event at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Sept. 6, 2022. Marines with 3d Marine Littoral Regiment, 3d Marine Division, operated with U.S. Army 25th Combat Aviation Brigade. Such training and collaboration improves the operational synergy within the joint force.

A U.S. Marine Corps CH-53E Super Stallion assigned to Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1), executes a wave off before conducting an external lift during Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) course 2-22, at Auxiliary Airfield II, at Landing Zone Bull (LZ Bull), Chocolate Mountain Aerial Gunnery Range, California, on April 2, 2022. WTI is a seven-week training event hosted by MAWTS-1, providing standardized advanced tactical training and certification of unit instructor qualifications to support Marine aviation training and readiness, and assists in developing and employing aviation weapons and tactics.

NAVAL AIR FACILITY EL CENTRO, Calif. (Oct. 1, 2020) An MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to the Black Knights” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 4, stationed in San Diego, Calif., practices terrain flight tactical landings during Helicopter Advanced Readiness Program (HARP) training at Naval Air Facility El Centro, California. HARP is hosted by Helicopter Sea Combat Weapons School Pacific and is designed to enhance the helicopter sea combat community’s realistic warfighting training via joint operations in an austere environment.

An Air Force C-17 Globemaster III on landing approach near the forward aerial refueling point operated by US Marines with Marine Wing Support Squadron 273, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) (MEU(SOC)) at the Kandahar International Airport, Kandahar, Afghanistan, during OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Base: Kandahar International Airport Country: Afghanistan (AFG) Scene Major Command Shown: AMC

A U.S. Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 265, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, conducts an air-insertion during Resolute Dragon 22 on Shikaribetsu Maneuver Area, Hokkaido, Japan, Oct. 6, 2022. Resolute Dragon 22 is an annual bilateral exercise designed to strengthen the defensive capabilities of the U.S.-Japan Alliance by exercising integrated command and control, targeting, combined arms, and maneuver across multiple domains.

An Alaska Army National Guard UH-60L Black Hawk operated by air crew assigned to the 1st Battalion, 207th Aviation Troop Command, transports Anchorage Police Department Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team officers over Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, July 13, 2022. JBERs expansive and austere training areas provided an ideal setting for local law enforcement SWAT Teams as they honed their rural operations skills, task planning, reconnaissance, helicopter safety procedures, land navigation, team movement and patrolling.

A CH-47 Chinook helicopter from Alpha Company, 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment moves in to extract U.S. Army Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment from the top of a mountain in the Andar province of Afghanistan after searching for Taliban members and weapons caches June 6, 2007.

A U.S. Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey assigned to Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1) lands during Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) course 1-23 near Playas, New Mexico, Sept. 30, 2022. WTI is a seven-week training event hosted by MAWTS-1, providing standardized advanced tactical training and certification of unit instructor qualifications to support Marine aviation training and readiness, and assists in developing and employing aviation weapons and tactics.

Artillery Soldiers with Alpha "Gator" Battery, 3rd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, "Task Force 82," conduct sling-load training at Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base, Romania, Jan. 9, 2024. UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from the 3rd Attack Helicopter Battalion, 1st Aviation Regiment, 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, supported the 101st Airborne Division Artillery Soldiers by moving M119 howitzers by air to increase proficiency in their warfighting tasks.

A CH-53D Sea Stallion helicopter from Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 463 lifts off the ground after unloading Marines aboard at the Bellows Training Area, Pohakuloa Training Area, Hawaii. (Substandard image). Base: Pohakuloa Training Area State: Hawaii (HI) Country: United States Of America (USA)

970628-N-3962B-003. Subject Operation/Series: KERNEL BLITZ '97 Base: Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

A CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopter hovers above a Soviet M-53 anti-aircraft machine gun prior to picking it up during Operation URGENT FURY. Subject Operation/Series: URGENT FURY Country: Grenada (GRD)

Pilots from Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 161 (HMM-161) use a CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopter to airlift a communications trailer to a command post. The Marines are participating in Operation CAX 1-2-82 at the Marine Corps Air-to-Ground Combat Center. Subject Operation/Series: CAX 1-2-82 Base: Twentynine Palms State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

A Russian MI-8 helicopter departs the Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft landing site after the capsule landed with Expedition 60 crew members Nick Hague of NASA and Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos, along with visiting astronaut Hazzaa Ali Almansoori of the United Arab Emirates in a remote area near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019. Hague and Ovchinin are returning after 203 days in space where they served as members of the Expedition 59 and 60 crews onboard the International Space Station. Almansoori logged 8 days in space during his first flight as an astronaut.

Alaska Army National Guardsmen with the 2-211th General Support Aviation Battalion travel from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson to Nome, Alaska, via UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter April 11, 2022. The UH-60L Black Hawk helicopters will remain in Nome for Golf Company, Detachment 1, 2-211th GSAB to conduct annual training and aide in River Watch if needed this spring. Should there be significant flooding or other emergency in the vicinity, the helicopters will provide support as requested by the State. (Alaska National Guard photo by 1st Lt. Balinda ONeal)

U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Andrew Teijen, a forward air controller assigned to Echo Company, Battalion Landing Team 2/6, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, assists in the landing of a Marine Corps CH-53E Super Stallion during exercise EFES 2022, Izmir, Turkey, May 28, 2022. EFES22 is an international Combined Joint Live-Fire Exercise focused on increasing force readiness, promoting stability and prosperity in the region, and interoperability between the U.S., Turkey, and allied nations.

Helicopters from the 211 Aviation Reg pass over Forward Observers as they prepare to pick them up and insert them to an observation point during Western Strike 22, June 9, 2022. Western Strike 22 is an eXportable Combat Training Capabilities exercise led by the 65th Field Artillery Brigade, Utah National Guard, that provides National Guard Soldiers immersed training similar to a combat training center and aims to increase participating unit's readiness and lethality.

Alaska Army National Guard aviators assigned to Joint Task Force - Aviation prepare a UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter for takeoff before recovering service members from JTF - Bethel from Nightmute, Alaska, after they assisted with storm debris removal as part of Operation Merbok Response, Sept. 23, 2022. More than 130 members of the Alaska Organized Militia, which includes members of the Alaska National Guard, Alaska State Defense Force and Alaska Naval Militia, were activated following a disaster declaration issued Sept. 17 after the remnants of Typhoon Merbok caused dramatic flooding across more than 1,000 miles of Alaskan coastline. (Alaska National Guard photo by 1st Lt. Balinda O'Neal)

A UH-1 Iroquois helicopter stands in a parking area in preparation for use during Operation Alliance, a project of Joint Task Force 6 (JTF-6). JTF-6 is charged with monitoring borders between Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and Mexico. The U.S. Combat Pictorial Detachment is providing photographic coverage as part of the 5th Army's involvement in the operation. Subject Operation/Series: ALLIANCE Country: Unknown

A group of Marines from the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) (MEU (SOC)) run towards a CH-53 Sea Stallion in a field next to the schoolhouse in Faza, Kenya. The Marines were there as part of a team, doing a little extra by, building a new schoolhouse during EDGED MALLET 02 as part of community relations in Kenya. Subject Operation/Series: EDGED MALLET 02 Base: Faza State: Coast Country: Kenya (KEN) Scene Major Command Shown: 13 MEU

Two MH-60 helicopters of the U.S. Navy flying over Fallon, Nevada.

040625-M-9382M-017. Base: Nagolan State: Kunar Country: Afghanistan (AFG)

Chief Warrant Officer 5 Joedy VanVelzen and his co-pilot land at the Army Aviation Support Facility in Boone, Iowa, Oct. 20, 2022. VanVelzen completed his last flight after serving 40 years as a pilot in the Iowa Army National Guard. Friends, family and the Boone Fire Department came out to celebrate the milestone. Throughout his career, he flew 821 combat hours and 6,454 total hours.

MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, Hawaii (July 30, 2022) A U.S. Marine Corps CH-53E Super Stallion and a MV-22 Osprey fly overhead during an amphibious raid for a multinational littoral operations exercise as part of Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2022 at Pyramid Rock Beach, Marine Corps Base Hawaii, July 30, 2022. Twenty-six nations, 38 ships, three submarines, more than 170 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC from June 29 to Aug. 4 in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. The world's largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity while fostering and sustaining cooperative relationships among participants critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans. RIMPAC 2022 is the 28th exercise in the series that began in 1971.

Cpl. Aaron Pickett, an anti-tank missilemen with Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, fires a Javelin missile from the front of a Humvee during the Enhanced Mojave Viper training exercise at the Black Top Range Training Area on Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif., Aug. 29. The Marines of 3/3 are working through the 35-day exercise, their final evaluation before deploying to Afghanistan's Helmand province in support of Operation Enduring Freedom this fall. During EMV, the infantry battalion is training in the field bolstering infantry skills and practicing counterinsurgency operations. The Marines will combine with supporting arms, aviation and logistics units, and train to fight as a Marine Air Ground Task Force to prepare for deployment.

Members of C Btry., 1ST Bn., 319th Air Field Arty. Regt., attach an M-102 105mm towed howitzer to the sling of a 2nd Battalion, 82nd Aviation Brigade UH-60 Black Hawk (Blackhawk) helicopter for a two-gun raid training mission during Operation Desert Shield. Subject Operation/Series: DESERT SHIELD Country: Saudi Arabia(SAU)

U.S. Marine Corps MRZR D4 with Battalion Landing Team 2/4, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit is guided out of a landing zone during an Air Raid course at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, May 17, 2022. The purpose of the Air Raid course is to test and refine unit standard operating procedures, enhancing tactics and techniques in order to prepare units for expeditionary operations.

UH-60 Blackhawk and Apache. International Military Training Saber Strike 2017", Adazi, Latvia, from 3 to 15 June 2017. US Army Europe-led annual International military�exercise Saber Strike Field Training Exercise�in Latvia.

The Marine Air-Ground Task Force demonstration takes place during the 2022 Marine Corps AirStation Miramar Air Show at MCAS Miramar, San Diego, California, Sept. 23, 2022. The MAGTFDemo displays the coordinated use of close-air support, artillery and infantry forces, andprovides a visual representation of how the Marine Corps operates. The theme for the 2022MCAS Miramar Air Show, Marines Fight, Evolve and Win, reflects the Marine Corps ongoingmodernization efforts to prepare for future conflicts.

020516-F-1644L-011. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Base: Bagram Air Base State: Parwan Country: Afghanistan (AFG)

DF-ST-87-07544. Subject Operation/Series: GALLANT EAGLE '86 State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

HH-60G Pave Hawk US Air Force

U.S. Army Soldiers with 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, advance towards a trench for cover during a simulated airfield seizure conducted with the Royal Thai Army, at Cobra Gold 2023 in Lop Buri, Kingdom of Thailand, March 4, 2023. Cobra Gold, now in its 42nd year, is a Thai-U.S. co-sponsored training event that builds on the long-standing friendship between the two allied nations and brings together a robust multinational force to promote regional peace and security in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.

220915-N-EI127-1060PACIFIC OCEAN (Sept. 15, 2022) - An MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter, assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC 21), drops off ordinance during an ammunition onload aboard amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD 8), Sept. 15. Aviation Ordnancemen operate and handle aviation ordnance equipment and are responsible for the stowage and loading of munitions and small arms. The Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group, comprised of amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD 8) and amphibious transport docks USS Anchorage (LPD 23) and USS John P. Murtha (LPD 26), is underway conducting integrated training operations with the13th Marine Expeditionary Unit in the U.S. 3rd Fleet to prepare for an upcoming deployment.

U.S. Soldiers, assigned to the 1-21st Infantry Battalion, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, conduct a battalion air assault exercise for a platoon situational training exercise (STX), on Oahu, Hawaii, May 24, 2022. The STX emphasized aspects of loading and unloading from aircraft then utilizing small team strategies to reach a destination in low visibility.

Members of Marine Aircraft Group 26 (MAG-26) refuel CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters at the Lonesome Dove Expeditionary Airfield during Operation Desert Storm. Subject Operation/Series: DESERT STORM Country: Saudi Arabia (SAU)

A CV-22 Osprey from the 71st Special Operations Squadron prepares to land during a training mission out of Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico.

An Mh-60S Knighthawk helicopter attached to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 5 flies a daytime familiarization flight at Naval Air Station Fallon, April 28, 2022. Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 7 is the offensive air and strike component of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 10 and the George H.W. Bush CSG. The squadrons of CVW-7 are Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 143; VFA-103; VFA-86; VFA-136; Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 140; Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 121; HSC-5; and Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 46.

A left side view of a CH-53 Stallion flying inland during exercise Team Spirit '82. Subject Operation/Series: TEAM SPIRIT '82 Base: Tok Sok Ri Country: Republic Of Korea (KOR)

Right side view of a Marine CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopter from Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada, landing during a training exercise. State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

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