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HSM-71

Military unit

Wikipedia contributorsAdapted for Fathomly · View authors
1 min read
Source updated June 3, 2026
Image credit is listed at the end of this article.

Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron Seven One (HSM-71), nicknamed the Raptors, is a United States Navy helicopter squadron based at Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego, California. The squadron is assigned to Carrier Air Wing 9 (CVW-9).

HSM-71 was established on 4 October 2007 as the United States Navy's first MH-60R Seahawk squadron. The squadron operates the MH-60R Seahawk and conducts anti-submarine warfare, surface warfare, electronic warfare, and search-and-rescue missions.

The squadron received its first Battle Efficiency Award ("Battle E") in 2009 and was awarded the Captain Arnold Jay Isbell Trophy for excellence in anti-submarine warfare in both 2009 and 2010.

01History

HSM-71 was established on 4 October 2007 as the United States Navy's first MH-60R Seahawk squadron. The squadron adopted the motto "First and Finest" and was formed as part of the Navy's transition to the MH-60R Seahawk maritime strike helicopter.

In 2009, the squadron received its first Battle Efficiency Award ("Battle E"). It was also awarded the Captain Arnold Jay Isbell Trophy for excellence in airborne anti-submarine warfare in both 2009 and 2010.

In 2024, the squadron returned to Naval Air Station North Island following a five-month deployment with the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group. During the deployment, HSM-71 operated as part of Carrier Air Wing 9 aboard USS Abraham Lincoln and aboard escorting destroyers within the strike group.

Watch videos about HSM-71Explainers and documentaries on YouTube (opens in a new tab)

Sources and credits

This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “HSM-71”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.

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History of the United States Navy

The history of the United States Navy divides into two major periods: the "Old Navy", a small but respected force of sailing ships that became notable for innovation in the use of ironclads during the American Civil War, and the "New Navy" the result of a modernization effort that began in the 1880s and made it the largest in the world by 1943. The United States Navy claims October 13, 1775 as the date of its official establishment, when the Second Continental Congress passed a resolution creating the Continental Navy.

List of United States Navy aircraft squadrons

This is a list of active United States Navy aircraft squadrons. Deactivated or disestablished squadrons are listed in the list of inactive United States Navy aircraft squadrons.