Editing Kaman SH-2 Seasprite (section)

===United States===
[[File:UH-2A HC-1 CVA-63 Mar1966.jpg|thumb|A UH-2A on plane guard duty hovers over the USS ''Kitty Hawk'' in March 1966.]] 
[[File:HH-2D Seasprite approaches USS W.S. Sims (DE-1059) during flight deck strength tests in September 1970.jpg|thumb|HH-2D, which was a search and rescue version, on approach in 1970]]

The UH-2 entered operational service with the USN in 1962.<ref name=Apostolo/> The single engine greatly restricted performance. Kaman was ordered to convert all of the Seasprites to a twin-engine configuration. The upgraded helicopters had a {{convert|130|kn|km/h}} airspeed and a {{convert|411|nmi|km}} operating range.<ref name = "McGowen 60"/> The USN operated nearly 200 Seasprites in multiple roles, including ASW, SAR, and utility transport.<ref name = "McGowen 60"/> Under typical operational conditions, USN [[aircraft carrier]] deployed with several UH-2s in the [[plane guard]] and SAR roles.<ref name=Frawley_Military/>

The UH-2 was introduced in time to see action in the [[Tonkin Gulf incident]] in August 1964. The Seasprite's main role in the [[Vietnam War]] was CSAR of downed aircrews at sea and overland, reliance on the Seasprite in this role increased as the conflict intensified, such as during [[Operation Rolling Thunder]] in 1965.<ref name = "Dunstan 152">Dunstan 2003, p. 152.</ref> During October 1966, helicopter-based SAR teams recovered 103 out of 269 downed pilots.<ref>Hearn 2005, p. 255.</ref>

During the 1970s, the conversion of UH-2s to the SH-2 anti-submarine configuration provided the U.S. Navy with its first dedicated ASW helicopter capable of operating from vessels other than its aircraft carriers. The compact size of the SH-2 allowed the type to be operated from flight decks that were too small for the majority of helicopters; this factor would later play a role in the U.S. Navy's decision to acquire the improved SH-2F during the early 1980s.<ref>Boyne 2002, p. 343.</ref>

The SH-2F fleet was utilized to enforce and support [[Operation Earnest Will]] in July 1987, [[Operation Praying Mantis]] in April 1988, and [[Operation Desert Storm]] during January 1991 in the [[Persian Gulf]] region.<ref>Chant 2001, p. 54.</ref> The countermeasures and additional equipment present upon the SH-2F allowed the type to conduct combat support and surface warfare missions within these hostile environments, which had an often-minimal submarine threat. In April 1994, the SH-2F was retired from active service with the U.S. Navy; the timing corresponded with the retirement of the last of the Vietnam-era [[Knox-class frigate]]s that were unable to accommodate the new and larger [[SH-60 Sea Hawk]]s, which were used to replace the aging Seasprites.

In 1991, the U.S. Navy had begun to receive deliveries of the new SH-2G Super Seasprite; a total of 18 converted SH-2Fs and 6 new-built SH-2Gs were produced.<ref>Endres and Gething 2005, p. 492.</ref> These were assigned to Naval Reserve squadrons, the SH-2G entered service with HSL-84 in 1993.<ref name=JAU_SH-2G>''Jane's Aircraft Upgrades''. Jane's Information Group, 2009. [http://www8.janes.com/Search/documentView.do?docId=/content1/janesdata/yb/jau/jau_1576.htm@current&pageSelected=allJanes&backPath=http://search.janes.com/Search&Prod_Name=JAU&keyword= (subscription article)]{{Dead link|date=August 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} posted 20 March 2009.</ref> The SH-2 served in some 600 deployments and flew 1.5 million flight hours before the last of the type were finally retired from US Navy service in mid-2001.<ref name=JAU_SH-2G/><ref>Stephens, Ernie. [http://www.aviationtoday.com/rw/military/observation/Putting-the-&quotSuper%22-in-the-Kaman-Super-Seasprite_35381.html "Putting the "Super" in the Kaman Super Seasprite"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160514053131/http://www.aviationtoday.com/rw/military/observation/Putting-the-%26quotSuper%22-in-the-Kaman-Super-Seasprite_35381.html |date=2016-05-14 }}. ''Rotor & Wing'', 1 October 2009.</ref>