The H-53 is too big and too noisy, too, which is why the HH-60 exists in the first place. The HH-60, though, is really a bit small, and the HH-71 represents an excellent compromise – a nice big cabin, in an agile and VERY quiet helicopter, and one whose hot and high performance (even in current RTM engined versions) is great.
And one without such extreme downwash as to make winching problematic.
The 60 in USAF rescue work existed for one major reason. Economics over performance. This took on a whole new meaning with the cold war downsizing. The people ( with real world operational experience ) at the company I visited that put all the SPS ( self-protection systems ) on our helos told me this. The 60 is only good for combat rescue because it is cheap to operate…. not based on task performance. You can run near 3 times as many 60’s in a year with x dollars compared to the 53. That, at the time, low ops cost was more important than having the best helo for the job. Unfortunately something like Coast Guard Jayhawk ops aren’t similar to combat rescue ops. Thats where the Hawk family starts coming up short.
Combat rescue operations ( for us anyway ) aren’t especially quiet. In addition to the helicopter moving in for the pickup, you have strike aircraft too. So the “quiet” thing in that event, isn’t really a realistic goal.
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