By April Lanux

The only USAF base in Europe and Africa with CSAR helicopters, Aviano is the last active duty base to transition from the legacy HH-60G Pave Hawk to the recently delivered HH-60W Jolly Green II.

The 56th Rescue and Rescue Generation Squadrons at Aviano Air Base, Italy, recently flew the last mission of the active duty U.S. Air Force HH-60G Pave Hawk fleet. The farewell to the helicopter was celebrated with a final four ship flight with the remaining helicopters on Dec. 18, 2024.

The only USAF base in Europe and Africa with CSAR helicopters, Aviano is the last active duty base to transition from the legacy HH-60G Pave Hawk to the recently delivered HH-60W Jolly Green II.

“Today marks the end of an iconic chapter in our Air Force history with the final active-duty HH-60G flight,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Beau Diers, 31st Fighter Wing deputy commander. “Through its tour of duty, the HH-60G provided countless lifesaving rescue operations around the globe. As we transition to the HH-60W, we remember the G’s proud history while looking forward to an even brighter future with increased combat capabilities.”

Just few days earlier, on Dec. 13, Aviano received the first new HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopter, which arrived onboard a C-5 Galaxy. At least two of the new helicopters should already be at the Italian base, with the deliveries expected to be completed by October 2025.

Aviano started retiring its final five legacy Pave Hawks earlier this year, with the first, tail number A6114, sent to the boneyard on board a C-17 Globemaster III. Previously, the base started retiring older HH-60Gs in 2020 and 2021, replaced by 2022 with helicopters from units that already transitioned to the HH-60W.

One of these first helicopters, tail A6212, was retired in 2021 to become a gate guardian at Aviano. This particular Pave Hawk, said the base, has saved and assisted more than 958 lives and has flown 9,362.4 hours – the most hours of any HH-60 in the 56th Rescue Squadron’s (RQS) fleet.

The HH-60G Pave Hawk is a highly modified version of the Army Black Hawk helicopter which features an upgraded communications and navigation suite, as well as specialized mission equipment to support the helicopter’s primary mission to conduct day or night personnel recovery operations into hostile environments to recover isolated personnel.

By April Lanux

Laos is leveraging satellite remote sensing technology to calculate carbon stocks across nine forest areas in the country totaling 170,556 hectares.

The objectives of this project are to unlock the country’s carbon credit potential and gain certification by late 2025, said the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in a Carbon Credit Feasibility Study Session on 8 January.

This effort aligns with Laos’ goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and the global “30×30” target of projecting 30 percent of the world’s land and oceans by 2030.

Officials anticipate the initiative will generate significant revenue, which could be reinvested in biodiversity conservation, community development, and forest management.

The feasibility study found that selected forest areas hold strong potential for carbon credit generation. Satellite technology not only ensures transparency by reducing fraud but also lowers costs and speeds up the process of carbon accounting.

Beyond forestry, the project is also looking at expanding satellite monitoring to agriculture, including rubber plantations and orchards. This could encourage sustainable farming practices while boosting rural incomes.

The initiative builds on an August 2024 agreement between the Lao government, Carbon Registry Thailand (CRT), and Carbon Credit Laos (CCL), which introduced advanced satellite AI for carbon credit calculations.

With nearly 16 million hectares of forest, Laos has significant potential to expand its carbon credit system. By integrating advanced technologies like satellite monitoring, the country aims to better protect its natural resources, reduce emissions, and explore new opportunities for economic development.