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Orange helicopter hovering mid-air while two uniformed coast guardsmen hang from hoist attached to helicopter.

Air Station Detroit members train in water rescue

Two U.S. Coast Guardsmen, Air Station Detroit, Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Michigan, train in water rescue using an MH-65 Dolphin aircraft here, Jan. 7, 2023. Air Station Detroit’s primary missions are search and rescue, law enforcement, domestic icebreaking operations, marine environmental protection, rotary wing air intercept and mission support for more than 200 local, state and federal agencies within an area of responsibility encompassing more than 1,100 miles of shoreline from Saginaw Bay to the St. Lawrence seaway.
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Coast Guard MH-65E Dolphin

  • By U.S. Coast Guard

Air Station Detroit helicopter crews perform search and rescue, maritime law enforcement and marine environmental protection, and provide aids to navigation and ice patrol support throughout the Great Lakes region with the MH-65E Dolphin.  They support the North American Aerospace Defense Command’s airspace security rotary wing air intercept mission in Washington, D.C., and throughout the country as required for national security. 

Air Station Detroit works with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, along with Coast Guard Investigative Service, to pinpoint areas of repeated aircraft lazing incidents, where reckless individuals aim a laser pointer at an aircraft. These actions are dangerous to aircrews and may be subject to civil penalties or criminal prosecutions under federal law.  

The short range recovery helicopter, certified for operation in all-weather and night-time operations, with the exception of icy conditions, routinely deploys aboard certified cutters providing critical manned airborne surveillance and interdiction capabilities. 

Characteristics

  • Length (with rotor blades): 44 feet 5 inches
  • Rotor Diameter: 39 feet 2 inches 
  • Height: 13 feet 3 inches 
  • Maximum Weight: 9,480 pounds 
  • Cruise Speed: 148 knots 
  • Range: 350 nautical miles 
  • Endurance: three hours 

Features

  • 40% more power and higher performance from new engines 
  • Radar and electro-optical/infrared sensors 
  • Capability to conduct sorties from a cutter flight deck 
  • Capability to mount a 7.62-mm machine gun and a .50-caliber rifle 
  • Common avionics architecture system of digital glass cockpit instruments similar to those installed on the Coast Guard’s upgraded MH-60T medium range recovery helicopter 

 

Orange helicopter hovering mid-air while two uniformed coast guardsmen hang from hoist attached to helicopter.

Air Station Detroit members train in water rescue

Two U.S. Coast Guardsmen, Air Station Detroit, Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Michigan, train in water rescue using an MH-65 Dolphin aircraft here, Jan. 7, 2023. Air Station Detroit’s primary missions are search and rescue, law enforcement, domestic icebreaking operations, marine environmental protection, rotary wing air intercept and mission support for more than 200 local, state and federal agencies within an area of responsibility encompassing more than 1,100 miles of shoreline from Saginaw Bay to the St. Lawrence seaway.
Photo Details / Download Hi-Res

Two U.S. Coast Guardsmen, Air Station Detroit, Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Michigan, train in water rescue using an MH-65 Dolphin aircraft here, Jan. 7, 2023. Air Station Detroit’s primary missions are search and rescue, law enforcement, domestic icebreaking operations, marine environmental protection, rotary wing air intercept and mission support for more than 200 local, state and federal agencies within an area of responsibility encompassing more than 1,100 miles of shoreline from Saginaw Bay to the St. Lawrence seaway.