HSC-3

Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron THREE HELSEACOMBATRON 3 (HSC-3)
HSC-3 Merlins Insignia
Active	1 September 1967 - present
Country	United States of America
Branch	United States Navy
Type	Navy Helicopter Squadron
Role	Fleet Replacement Squadron
Size	Squadron
Nickname(s)	"Merlins"
Commanders
Commanding Officer	Captain Thomas “Smokey” Butts NAS North Island
Aircraft flown
Helicopter	MH-60S Knighthawk

Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron THREE (HELSEACOMBATRON 3 or HSC-3 Merlins) (previously Helicopter Combat Support Squadron THREE (HELSUPPRON 3 or HC-3 Packrats)), is a United States Navy multi-role combat helicopter squadron based at Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego, California which operates the Sikorsky MH-60S Knighthawk helicopter to train aircrew and support fleet development on the MH-60S for the Commander Helicopter Sea Combat Wing, U.S. Pacific Fleet.^[1] The squadron was established on 1 September 1967 at Naval Air Station Imperial Beach with the Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight to provide vertical replenishment (VERTREP) services on the West Coast, and was redesignated HSC-3 on 1 April 2005.^[2]