Exercising Inter-operability with the US Coast Guard
During the Fleet Review in Canada the COs of TE KAHA and ENDEAVOUR met the Commander of the US Coast Guard 13th District and agreed to conduct an interoperability activity between our Task Group and the Coast Guard.
Subsequently, on 25 June, the New Zealand ships were joined by a Coast Guard HH-65C Dolphin helicopter. The Dolphin, based at North Bend, Oregon, had launched earlier to transit north, pick up a PR officer from Newport, then come out to join us. Once the helicopter joined, good communications were established and the helicopter conducted a fly-past, before undertaking a ship-controlled approaches and landing on TE KAHA.
The US Coast Guard air crew disembarked and were met by TE KAHA’s flight deck party and ship’s officers. The American aviators were given a tour of TE KAHA’s facilities before discussing flying procedures and the exercise intentions. The Dolphin launched with an RNZN helicopter crewman onboard to observe US procedures, while the USCG photographer remained in TE KAHA. Once airborne, three basket winches were conducted with TE KAHA and three more with ENDEAVOUR.
A load transfer was undertaken from TE KAHA to ENDEAVOUR and return. Once the deck was clear of the load, the Dolphin conducted 20 deck landings, using the USCG profile (rather than visual circuits). The Dolphin also chose to exercise the RNZN-preferred approach, as described in the international helicopter-ship operating instructions.
The final serial was a rotors-running refuel on TE KAHA and the exchange of crewmen, before re-launch and their return to Newport. Overall the event proved our interoperability, and this is understood to be the first time that a USCG helo has operated from an RNZN ship.
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