Officially Licensed US Navy HSL-49 Scorpions legacy squadron leather patch.
HSL-49 — SH-60B Seahawks legacy, North Island, before the HSM era.
HSL-49, the "Scorpions," was a U.S. Navy Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light established on March 23, 1990 at Naval Air Station North Island, San Diego, California — flying the SH-60B Seahawk and providing combat-ready LAMPS Mk III detachments to surface combatants including Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates, Spruance-class destroyers, and Ticonderoga-class cruisers. The squadron's mission was to conduct anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, search and rescue, and other multi-mission combat support operations. HSL-49's first deployment began in November 1990 with Detachment One aboard USS Ford (FFG-54), including operations during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm — putting the squadron in combat operations in its first deployment cycle. The Scorpions ran continuous LAMPS Mk III detachment ops out of North Island for the next quarter-century, deploying SH-60B detachments to virtually every Pacific Fleet surface deployment. On April 1, 2015 HSL-49 was redesignated as Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 49 (HSM-49), transitioning from the SH-60B to the MH-60R Seahawk variant — the squadron continues today as HSM-49 "Scorpions" at NAS North Island. This leather patch carries the HSL-49 SH-60B legacy. Hat-ready, premium leather.
Perfect For: HSL-49 Scorpions plankowners and veterans, SH-60B Seahawk LAMPS Mk III pilots and aircrew, current HSM-49 Scorpions active-duty personnel, USS Ford FFG-54 Desert Storm detachment veterans, NAS North Island heritage collectors, Pacific Fleet helicopter community members, and HSL legacy leather patch enthusiasts.
HSL-49 Scorpions — SH-60B Seahawks legacy, leather on the hat.
