129th Rescue Wing pararescuemen climb a rope ladder to an HH-60 off the Golden Gate

Pave Hawk Retires: The HH-60G’s Last Flight After 44 Years

by Tamika Johnson | Sep 26, 2026 | Aviación militar, Noticias | 0 comments

On 10 September 2026, a grey helicopter with tail number 27045 landed at Moffett Air National Guard Base in California for the last time. It was the final operational HH-60G Pave Hawk in the US Air Force, and with it ended more than four decades of the helicopter that defined American combat rescue.

The California Air National Guard's 129th Rescue Wing held a divestment ceremony for the aircraft, and the last G-models are being processed out by 30 September. From now on, Air Force rescue belongs to the HH-60W Jolly Green II.

Datos rápidos

Aeronave: Sikorsky HH-60G Pave Hawk
Final flight: 10 September 2026, Moffett ANGB, California
Last tail number: 27045, 129th Rescue Wing
En servicio: 1982 to 2026
Construido: 112 HH-60Gs, plus six converted UH-60Ls
Peak fleet: More than 100 aircraft
Reemplazo: HH-60W Jolly Green II, 102 planned by January 2030

The Last Pave Hawk

Tail 27045 had served for more than three decades. According to Military Times, it helped after hurricanes Katrina, Ike and Harvey and took part in more than 300 combat saves during deployments to Afghanistan. The 129th Rescue Squadron itself has saved 1,190 lives since 1977, many of them with the Pave Hawk, HeliHub reports.

For the people who flew it, the goodbye was personal.

“When you're flying the [Pave Hawk], you kind of become one with that machine. The Golf feels like home when I sit in it.”

Lt. Col. Benjamin Buchta — HH-60 pilot and commander of the 129th Rescue Squadron, speaking to Air & Space Forces Magazine

HH-60G Pave Hawk of the 129th Rescue Wing hoisting pararescuemen from Lake Tahoe — An HH-60G Pave Hawk of the 129th Rescue Wing hoists pararescuemen out of Lake Tahoe during a rescue exercise. Photo: US Air Force, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The final flight of the 129th Rescue Wing's HH-60G Pave Hawk.

From Black Hawk to Pave Hawk

The Pave Hawk began with the Army's UH-60 Black Hawk. In 1981 the Air Force picked the Black Hawk design to replace its ageing HH-3E Jolly Green Giants, the helicopters that had made the long-range rescues of the Vietnam War.

The first rescue versions, known as "Credible Hawks", added an air refuelling probe and better weapons. The fully equipped rescue model was later named HH-60G. It carried a rescue hoist, extra fuel, improved navigation and defensive systems, and two guns. Its rotor blades folded so it could be loaded into a C-5M Galaxy and flown anywhere in the world.

Air & Space Forces Magazine gives its performance as a top speed of 180 mph and a range of 580 miles, with room for eight or more passengers and a cargo hook rated at 8,000 pounds. At its peak, more than 100 HH-60Gs served in active duty, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve squadrons.

Pararescuemen hoisted into an HH-60G Pave Hawk off Djibouti — Pararescuemen of the 82nd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron are hoisted into an HH-60G Pave Hawk during a search and rescue exercise off the coast of Djibouti. Photo: SSgt Staci Miller, US Air Force, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

44 Years of Getting People Out

The Pave Hawk went to war in Desert Storm, covering Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the Gulf. Over Serbia in 1999, during Operation Allied Force, HH-60 crews recovered two USAF pilots who had been shot down behind enemy lines. After 2001 the helicopters were in Iraq and Afghanistan almost without a break.

Their work was not only in war zones. Three Pave Hawks flew 240 missions in 17 days during the Mozambique floods of 2000, and Air Force crews brought them to disaster zones from the 2004 tsunami to Hurricane Katrina.

The job had a cost. On 15 March 2018 an HH-60G crashed near al-Qa'im in western Iraq, killing all seven people on board.

“Our motto is 'these things we do that others may live', which means that at any time, anywhere, any place, we're going to send crews and helicopters into harm's way if necessary to save a life, because it matters.”

Senior Master Sgt. Sean Pellaton — flight engineer and senior enlisted leader of the 129th Rescue Squadron, via HeliHub

Pre-flight inspection of an HH-60G Pave Hawk at Moffett Air National Guard Base — Guardsmen of the 129th Maintenance Squadron inspect an HH-60G Pave Hawk before flight at Moffett Air National Guard Base, December 2018. Photo: Master Sgt. Ray Aquino, US Air National Guard, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

A Unit-by-Unit Goodbye

The Pave Hawk did not disappear all at once. Air & Space Forces Magazine lists the drawdown: Kadena in Japan in August 2024, Gabreski in New York in October 2024, Kirtland and Aviano in December 2024, Patrick Space Force Base in September 2025, the Alaska Air National Guard in July 2026, and finally California in September 2026.

The HH-60G Pave Hawk is formally retired.

Enter the Jolly Green II

The HH-60W Jolly Green II looks similar from the outside, but it is a new helicopter. It first flew on 17 May 2019, and the 41st Rescue Squadron received the first two on 5 November 2020. It has a digital glass cockpit, better performance in hot weather and at altitude, about twice the internal fuel of the Pave Hawk and more advanced self-defence systems.

The Air Force plans to field 102 of them, including 11 test aircraft, with the last delivery expected in January 2030. They have already been to war: in April 2026, HH-60Ws took part in a rescue inside Iran.

HH-60W Jolly Green II releasing flares during Exercise Cold Response — An HH-60W Jolly Green II of the 56th Rescue Squadron releases flares during Exercise Cold Response 26 in Norway. Photo: Staff Sgt. Brooke Rogers, US Air Force, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

For the crews at Moffett, the new helicopter will bring new tools, but the job stays the same.

“Rescuing another human being is much more rewarding than any award and [decoration] that you could receive.”

Master Sgt. Brock Woodward — flight engineer, 129th Rescue Squadron, via HeliHub

Sources: Air & Space Forces Magazine, Military Times, HeliHub, DVIDS, Wikipedia (Sikorsky HH-60 Pave Hawk)

Preguntas frecuentes

When did the HH-60G Pave Hawk retire?

The last operational HH-60G Pave Hawk, tail number 27045, made its final flight on 10 September 2026 with the California Air National Guard's 129th Rescue Wing at Moffett Air National Guard Base. The remaining G-models are being processed out by 30 September 2026.

What replaces the HH-60G Pave Hawk?

The HH-60W Jolly Green II replaces the Pave Hawk. It has a digital glass cockpit, better hot and high performance, about double the internal fuel and improved self-defence systems. The Air Force plans to field 102 of them, with the last delivery expected in January 2030.

How long did the Pave Hawk serve?

According to Air & Space Forces Magazine, the HH-60G entered service in 1982 and was the Air Force's main combat search and rescue helicopter for more than 40 years. At its peak the fleet numbered more than 100 aircraft across active, Guard and Reserve units.

Is the Pave Hawk the same as a Black Hawk?

The HH-60G is based on the Army's UH-60 Black Hawk, but it was heavily modified for rescue, with an air refuelling probe, rescue hoist, extra fuel, better navigation and defensive systems, guns and folding rotor blades so it could be carried in a C-5 Galaxy.

How many HH-60G Pave Hawks were built?

Wikipedia lists 112 HH-60G Pave Hawks. After training and combat losses, six Army UH-60L Black Hawks were also converted to HH-60G standard, according to HeliHub.

What wars did the Pave Hawk fly in?

The HH-60G flew combat rescue in Desert Storm, Operation Allied Force over Serbia in 1999, where it recovered two USAF pilots from behind enemy lines, and in Iraq and Afghanistan. It also flew disaster relief after hurricanes Katrina, Ike and Harvey.