HSM - 77 Saberhawks Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron Seven Seven ( HSM - 77 ) " Saberhawks " is a United States Navy helicopter squadron based at Naval Air Facility , Atsugi , Japan . HSM - 77 is attached to Carrier Air Wing Five and deploys aboard and air capable ships attached to Carrier Strike Group Nine ( CSG - 9 ) . The squadron was redesignated from HSL - 47 on 2 Apr 2009 . Mission . The squadron ' s primary mission is to employ the versatility of the MH - 60R helicopter to support the battle group commander ' s objectives , with emphasis on Surface Warfare ( SUW ) and Anti - Submarine Warfare ( ASW ) . Secondary missions include Search and Rescue ( SAR ) , Vertical Replenishment ( VERTREP ) , Medical Evacuation ( MEDEVAC ) , Naval Surface Fire Support ( NSFS ) , and Communications Relay ( COMREL ) . The Saberhawks of HSM - 77 fly the newest aircraft in the U . S . Navy fleet , the MH - 60R Seahawk helicopter , which elevates tactical maritime mission capability to a new level , far surpassing previous fleet capability . With its state - of - the - art avionics , mission systems , and cockpit , the MH - 60R is the world ’ s most capable Naval helicopter . The aircraft features a glass cockpit and significant mission system improvements over the SH - 60B , which give the MH - 60R unmatched capability as an airborne multi - mission Naval platform . The MH - 60R is tasked with performing Anti - Submarine Warfare , Surface Warfare , Over - the - Horizon Targeting ( OTH - T ) on board aircraft carriers and Navy surface combatant ships . History . Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron SEVEN SEVEN “ Saberhawks ” began its illustrious history as Helicopter Anti - Submarine Squadron Light FOUR SEVEN ( HSL - 47 ) . Established on 25 September 1987 at NAS North Island , the Saberhawks of HSL - 47 employed the SH - 60B helicopter . Since its inception , the Saberhawks have been at the forefront of helicopter operations in the Pacific Fleet . In 1991 , HSL - 47 deployed five detachments in support of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm , and flew over 2 , 000 combat , combat support and contingency hours . The Saberhawks also played an integral role in Operation Southern Watch , providing seventeen detachments from 1992 - 2005 . In 1992 , Detachment TWO rendered the first assistance to Somali citizens during Operation Restore Hope . HSL - 47 deployed the first SH - 60B detachment on an aircraft carrier , the , in 2001 and 2003 . These detachments paved the way for HSL - 47 to become the first HSL Squadron to become an integrated part of the Carrier Air Wing . The Squadron joined the Broadswords of Carrier Air Wing TWO ( CVW - 2 ) on 1 April 2004 . Under the Navy ’ s Helo CONOPS “ Bravo to Sea ( B2C ) ” initiative , HSL - 47 led the LAMPS Community ’ s transition from traditional SH - 60B expeditionary operations , to carrier based MH - 60R operations . During its 2004 - 2005 deployment , HSL - 47 became the first LAMPS helicopter squadron deployed in its entirety on board an aircraft carrier , the , with the squadron providing LAMPS detachments to the other ships within Carrier Strike Group Nine . HSL - 47 detachments operated from the guided - missile cruiser and the guided - missile destroyer . Following the devastating tsunami in the Indian Ocean on 26 December 2004 , HSL - 47 and the USS " Abraham Lincoln " Carrier Strike Group sped to assist the Indonesian island of Sumatra . Arriving on December 31 , the Saberhawks flew a total of 1 , 223 hours , distributing 404 , 647 lbs of food , 190 , 246 lbs of water and supplies , and conducting seventy medical evacuations . In support of Hurricane Katrina , HSL - 47 , conducted 173 rescues and delivered 76 , 000 pounds of food , water , and medical supplies over nineteen days . For its 2006 Deployment , two SH - 60B Seahawk aviation repairable pack - up kits , including four aviation consumable Vidmar cabinets , were transferred from Naval Air Station North Island , California , to the carrier " Abraham Lincoln " . This equipment was required to support the second deployment on board the " Abraham Lincoln " of the SH - 60B - To - Carrier Pilot program that assigned the carrier to direct support of squadron HSL - 47 , a full squadron of SH - 60B Seahawk helicopters that would be dispersed throughout the carrier strike group . On 15 April 2006 , HSL - 47 helicopters and the guided - missile destroyer provided aid to a fishing vessel in distress while operating in the South China Sea . Following the completion of its 2006 deployment , the two SH - 60B Seahawk aviation repairable pack - up kits , including four aviation consumable Vidmar cabinets , were returned to Naval Air Station North Island . On April 2 , 2009 , HSL - 47 transitioned to Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron SEVEN SEVEN . The Saberhawks were attached to CVW - 2 and the USS " Abraham Lincoln " Strike Group and deployed for the first time with the MH - 60R . On 14 May 2012 , during its 2012 deployment , HSM - 77 Detachment Five completed its temporary operational rotation on board the British replenishment oiler " Fort Victoria " which was serving as the flagship for Combined Task Force 151 . This was the first time that a MH - 60R helicopter had ever operated from a Royal Navy ship . The detachment ' s helicopters primarirly concentrated on anti - piracy surveillance missions during this two - week period . In early 2013 , the squadron executed a homeport change from NAS North Island , California to NAF Atsugi , Japan , completing said homeport change in March of that year . HSM - 77 is now part of the USS " George Washington " Carrier Strike Group and Carrier Air Wing 5 ( CVW - 5 ) . Squadron aircraft . SH - 60 Seahawk