US Navy

The first two helicopters squadrons, HU-1 and HU-2, were commissioned 1948 at NAS Lakehurst, NJ with HU-1 moving to North Island, CA and the first training unit, HTU-1, at Ellyson Field, FL. In the 1950s the HS (Anti-submarine) squadrons introduced new revolutionary helicopter types that changed for ever the war at sea. In 1965, HU were redesignated as HC ( Helicopter Combat Support Squadron ) reflecting the more complex missions assigned to them. By the 1970s , small helicopters became so sophisticated that allowed the creation of the HSL squadrons which embark on escort ships. With the new century there was a new redesignation of units after the introduction of the last variants of the SH-60 Seahawk.