Originally developed in 1960 to meet a Marine Corps requirement
for a troop transport, the Sea Knight was already entering
squadron service with the Marines when the Navy turned to the
type for its vertical replenishment (VERTREP) concept. Employing
a pair of powerful T-58 shaft turbines in a fore and aft
arrangement, the HH-46 is not as sensitive to load distribution
as single-rotor helicopters and can operate in a much broader
wind envelope, an important factor when flying around ship
structures.
VERTREP allows ships to greatly expedite the flow of supplies
while at sea. This permits battle groups to stay on station
and carry out missions for much longer periods. Though not
normally assigned to a carrier air wing, the Sea Knight was
nevertheless a frequent visitor to operating carriers.
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