A HSS-1 Seabat of HS-11 dipping its sonar in 1958.Sikorsky SH-3D Sea King of HS-11 serving aboard USS John F. Kennedy in 1976An HS-11 SH-60F passing USS Leyte Gulf in 2006.
Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron 11 was established on 27 June 1957 at Naval Air Station (NAS) Quonset Point, Rhode Island. The squadron's nickname was the Sub Seekers and it first flew the Sikorsky HSS-1 Seabat helicopter under the radio call sign "Snowbound". The primary mission of the Seabat was antisubmarine warfare (ASW) and it carried dipping sonar. In 1959 the squadron transitioned to the HSS-1N Seabat which was upgraded with Doppler radar and automatic stabilization and hover capabilities for all-weather operations. The HS-11 Sub Seekers were assigned to Carrier Anti-Submarine Air Group 52 (CVSG-52) with tail code AS and deployed on board USS Wasp (CVS-18). In September 1962 the squadron's HSS-1N helicopters were re-designated the SH-34J Seabat in compliance with the 1962 United States Tri-Service aircraft designation system.
The Dragonslayer history has many distinguished highlights. The squadron played a leading role in astronaut recovery operations during the Gemini missions, plucking from the sea such famed astronauts as White, McDivitt, Lovell, and Aldrin. In 1976, the squadron was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation for saving countless lives after ship collisions at sea while attached to USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67). Over the years, HS-11 has answered the domestic call for help numerous times in support of hurricane relief efforts, including Hurricane Andrew in 1993 and in 1999 the squadron rescued nine men whose ship was sunk during Hurricane Floyd in winds over 50 knots and seas measuring 30 feet. HS-11 was the first Navy squadron on-station just hours after Hurricane Ike swept through Galveston, Texas, in September 2008. More recently, HS-11 was one of the first units to respond to the earthquake as part of Operation unified response in Haiti in January 2010.[citation needed]
In 1994, HS-11 transitioned to the Sikorsky SH-60F and HH-60H Seahawk helicopters. The capabilities of those aircraft allowed the squadron to greatly expand its mission areas. In addition to ASW and search and rescue, the Dragonslayers added such missions as Vertical Replenishment, Naval Special Warfare Support, and Combat Search and Rescue to its capabilities. With the addition of the Hellfire missile system and GAU-16 .50 caliber machine gun in 1999, HS-11 became capable of effectively conducting anti-surface warfare. In 2014 HS-11 became the first active duty fleet helicopter squadron to deploy with the GAU-17/A 7.62mm mini-gun system.
On 1 June 2016, HS-11 completed transition to the MH-60S Seahawk, was redesignated HSC-11,[2] and moved from NAS Jacksonville to Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia.[4]
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