Multiple Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin helicopters are worked on daily at the Coast Guard Aviation Logistics Center (ALC) located on Coast Guard Base Elizabeth City in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, Sep. 20, 2023.
The maintenance completed here consists of a complete tear down, inspection, and repair of all 204 U.S. Coast Guard aircraft on a four year recurring schedule.
U.S. Coast Guard Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Ryan L. Noel.
The Coast Guard upgraded its final MH-65D («Delta») to MH-65E («Echo») Dolphin standard, the last Short-Range Recovery Helicopter version, marking a major milestone for the H-65 Conversion Program. The 90th and last MH-65E was sent from the Aviation Logistics Center (ALC) in Elizabeth City to the Aviation Training Center (ATC) in Mobile.
This achievement was made possible by the dedicated collaboration between the Coast Guard Acquisition Directorate’s Aviation Domain (CG-931) and the Short-Range Recovery (SRR) Production Line at Aviation Logistics Center (ALC).
The last MH-65D Dolphin
The 6577 helicopter departed 19 August as the last complete MH-65D to MH-65E upgrade completed at the Coast Guard’s Aviation Logistics Center Short-Range Recovery Production Line, culminating more than a decade of hard engineer and technical work. The final MH-65E aircraft was delivered to the Coast Guard’s Aviation Training Center in Mobile, Alabama, as well as the first one.
In its various models the H-65 has been in service in the Coast Guard for 40 years (since November 1984) and has used the current engine the Arriel 2C2-CG the last 20 years. This year the MH-65 Dolphin helicopter reached 1.8 Million flight hours with more than 26,000 lives rescued.
MH-65E Dolphin in numbers
Since the first MH-65E delivery in 2018, SRR has efficiently integrated «Echo» upgrades into ALC’s extensive depot maintenance production line, which overhauls 22 MH-65 Dolphin helicopters annually. This effective partnership resefuscessful transition to the new standard «Echo».
Since its introduction, the upgrade to MH-65E Dolphin helicopter recently passed 100,000 flight hours; participated in more than 8,000 search and rescue (SAR) cases so far and contributed to saving over 1,200 lives.
The MH-65 «Echo» has also been in over 100 ship deployments around the world and has played a important role in more than 15 hurricane response efforts.
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