Eurocopter HH - 65 Dolphin The Eurocopter HH - 65 Dolphin is a twin - engined , single main rotor , MEDEVAC - capable Search and Rescue ( SAR ) helicopter operated by the United States Coast Guard ( USCG ) . It is a variant of the French - built Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin . Development . The SA366 G1 Dauphin version was selected by the United States Coast Guard in 1979 as its new short range recovery ( SRR ) air - sea rescue helicopter , replacing the Sikorsky HH - 52A Sea Guard . In total 99 helicopters , optimised for the USCG ' s search and rescue role tasks and given the designation HH - 65A Dolphin , were acquired . Unlike the HH - 52 , the HH - 65A is not able to perform water landings . The HH - 65 normally carries a crew of four : Pilot , Copilot , Flight Mechanic and Rescue Swimmer . The Dolphin was manufactured by Aerospatiale Helicopter Corporation ( now American Eurocopter ) in Grand Prairie , Texas . Textron Lycoming ( now Honeywell ) built the Dolphin ' s LTS101 - 750B - 2 turboshaft engines in Williamsport , Pennsylvania , and Rockwell Collins manufactured the HH - 65 ' s electronic systems in Cedar Rapids , Iowa . The HH - 65 Dolphin is used for homeland security patrols , cargo , drug interdiction , ice breaking , military readiness , pollution control , and search and rescue missions . The HH - 65 is known for its Fenestron tail rotor and its autopilot capabilities , which can complete an unaided approach to the water and bring the aircraft into a stable hover , or automatically fly search patterns , an ability which allows the crew to engage in other tasks . In order to comply with U . S . regulations relating to local content ( based primarily on the value of individual components of the aircraft ) , engineering changes were required — notably , the SA365 ' s original Turbomeca Arriel engines were replaced with LTS101 - 750B - 2 powerplants , which at the time represented the cutting edge of turboshaft design . Unfortunately , initial teething problems with this engine worsened as the HH - 65 ' s weight grew , resulting in several in - flight loss - of - power events . The USCG funded a program to improve engine reliability , but the resulting LTS101 - 850 failed to meet expectations . In 1994 , the USCG therefore held a fast - track competition to select a new powerplant , and in March 2004 the Guard announced the selection of the Turbomeca Arriel 2C2 - CG , already installed on the EC155 . This upgrade began in 2004 , and has resulted in a safer and more capable aircraft . These modified HH - 65As and HH - 65Bs , which also gained new avionics and other enhancements , have been designated as HH - 65Cs . Design . The HH - 65A ' s minimum equipment requirements exceeded anything previously packaged into a helicopter weighing less than 10 , 000 pounds . 75 % of the HH - 65 ' s structure — including rotorhead , rotor blades and fuselage — consists of corrosion - resistant composite materials . Some Coast Guard pilots have nicknamed the Dolphin as " " Tupperwolf " " , a portmanteau of tupperware ( because of the aircraft ' s high composites content ) and Airwolf ( from the 1980s TV series ) . Also a unique feature of the Dolphin is its computerized flight management system , which integrates state - of - the - art communications and navigation equipment . This system provides automatic flight control . At the pilot ' s direction , the system will bring the aircraft to a stable hover above a selected object . This is an important safety feature in darkness or inclement weather . Selected search patterns can be flown automatically , freeing the pilot and copilot to concentrate on sighting & searching the object . A distinctive feature of the MH - 65 is its fenestron ducted - fan anti - torque device . The fenestron consists of 10 blades spin inside a circular housing at the base of the helicopter ' s tail fin . Certified for single - pilot instrument flight rules ( IFR ) operation , the HH - 65A was the first helicopter certified with a four - axis autopilot , allowing for hands - off hover over a pre - determined location . Operational history . The Dolphin is primarily a Short Range Recovery ( SRR ) aircraft . There are now a total of 102 Dolphins in the Coast Guard Fleet . The fleet has home ports in 17 cities on the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean , Gulf of Mexico , Hawaii , and the Great Lakes region . The Dolphin is usually deployed from shore but it can be deployed from medium and high endurance Coast Guard Cutters , as well as the Polar Icebreakers . The Dolphin ' s main jobs are : search and rescue , enforcement of laws and treaties ( including drug interdiction ) , polar ice breaking , marine environmental protection including pollution control , and military readiness . When deployed from an icebreaker , the helicopter acts as the ship ' s eyes , searching out thinner and more navigable ice channels . They also have the job of airlifting supplies to villages isolated by winter , or transporting scientists to conduct remote research . The MH - 65 is also used to patrol the Air Defense Identification Zone ( ADIZ ) around Washington , D . C . , also known as the National Capital Region ( NCR ) . Seven new - build MH - 65Cs were acquired for this mission .