In 2016, the United States Air Force launched a major program for 113 helicopters to replace their ageing HH-60G Pave Hawk. Lockheed Martin won the competition with their newly designed HH-60W “Whiskey”, built on the state-of-the-art UH-60M Black Hawk. This new helicopter design adds capability advancements to better support the full range of combat rescue (CRH) and other special missions. Particularly, the platform requirements include a robust weapons suite in order to perform critical high risk combat search and rescue and personnel recovery operations for all US military services and allies. In 2017, Lockheed Martin selected FN Herstal to design, produce, and deliver a new family of Airborne Flex-Fire Weapon System Solutions. The FN® EMGS (External Mount Gun System) was born to meet both Lockheed Martin’s and US Air Force’s requirements.

In 2016, the United States Air Force launched a major program for 113 helicopters to replace their ageing HH-60G Pave Hawk. Lockheed Martin won the competition with their newly designed HH-60W “Whiskey”, built on the state-of-the-art UH-60M Black Hawk. In 2017, Lockheed Martin selected FN Herstal to design, produce, and deliver a new family of Airborne Flex-Fire Weapon System Solutions. The FN® EMGS (External Mount Gun System) was born to meet both Lockheed Martin’s and US Air Force’s requirements. This new helicopter design adds capability advancements to better support the full range of combat rescue (CRH) and other special missions. Particularly, the platform requirements include a robust weapons suite in order to perform critical high risk combat search and rescue and personnel recovery operations for all US military services and allies.

From mid-2016 until mid-2019, FN Herstal designed the new weapon system and manufactured ten different shipset prototypes required to start Lockheed Martin’s qualification process, US Air Force validation, and initial flight operations. From 2020 until October 2022, FN Herstal produced and delivered twenty-five shipsets of a Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP). As per official Lockheed Martin’s news last 12 October 2022, “the US Air Force declared Initial Operational Capability (IOC) for the HH-60W Jolly Green II Combat Rescue Helicopter, validating the platform’s operational readiness to forward deploy Air Force rescue crews around the globe.” In November 2022, after the shipment of the complete LRIP, FN Herstal began a multi-year production and delivery program of Full-Rate-Production (FRP) systems.

Sikorsky HH-60W Jolly Green II Combat Rescue Helicopter enables Air Force Combat Rescue Team to fulfill their mission “That Others May Live” and “Leave No One Behind”. The new HH-60W Jolly Green II will replace the HH-60G Pave Hawk fleet. Leveraging the proven survivability and reliability of the H-60M Black Hawk, the HH-60W Jolly Green II incorporates advanced digital design techniques, an open architecture for rapid mission system integration, an air refueling system, upgraded survivability and defensive systems, cabin and cockpit armor, integrated weapons, and increases main fuel tank capacity to 644 gallons. These advanced technologies enable the Jolly Green II to meet the Combatant Commander’s demands of today and the emerging Joint All Domain Operations (JADO) requirements in near peer competition and win in conflict.