Black/Gunship gray US Navy Seahawk/Blackhawk

HA(L)4 (modern day Seawolves) had a few HH-60Hs repainted in dark OD Green w/Vietnan-esque markings for the Century of Naval Aviation celebration recently.  It could have been one of them.

The USN also uses some HH-60s painted in dark schemes as agressor aircraft for exercises as well.

It definitely wasn't the one in the top photo, Gino. The one in the bottom photo is closer but not black enough, I was pretty close as it flew by and the sun was shining on it so it wasn't in shadow. It was not glossy in the least, either. Although the gray lettering on it seems very similiar.

Thanks for the response.

Lee

I don't know who's operating them, but I'll bet the color you saw was FS36081, the same color they paint the MH-53 Sea Dragon; I'm guessing they're assigned to HC-4, HM-14 or HM-15, which are all based in Norfolk, VA.

Wasn't something like this was it?

http://www.airliners.net/photo/USA---Navy/Sikorsky-MH-60S-Knighthawk/2064247/L/

or perhaps

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6045/6224741784_950d92fd25.jpg

HSC-22 currently (or at least recently) had a bird painted up in the dark color with a camoflauge tail.  It's on my "to do" list

Wow, it only took a year, but Rob found the thing, as did Phil in his lower link above. Thanks guys.

Lee

So, it is a MH-60 Knighthawk, another "Hawk".

http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/mh_60s/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HSC-22

There is the possbility that it was an Army MH-60 as well. 160th SOAR trains with the SEALs. After all, they were the ride to and from the Bin Laden raid. And their Hawks are black.

The bird had NAVY painted on the side, stik.

Oops... missed that part. ;-) Although 160th did repaint their Hawks into Navy gray paint schemes during their late 1980s deployment to the Persian Gulf for operations against the Iranians. They did not go so far  as to put that on them.

There are lots of S-70 variations.  In the 80s, and 90s The USN had three types: SH-60B ASW version, SH-60F ASW with dipping sonar, and HH-60H with did search and rescue, special ops, and anti-surface.

More recently there are two new versions MH-60R and MH-60S. MH-60R is ASW and is built new or converted from SH-60B/F. MH-60S "Knighthawk" is built new and replaces HH-60H, CH-46D, UH-3H, and HH-1N.

The US Coast Guard HH-60J "Jay Hawk" was the basis for the USN HH-60H.

H-60 variants used by the USN/USMC/USCG are slightly better than those used by the US Army, and way better than those used by the US Air Force.

No way Jose... Night Stalkers fly the best ones... :-)