Pave Low

The Sikorsky MH-53 Pave Low is a highly armored attack helicopter, featured in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

It is essentially an upgraded version of the CH-53 Sea Stallion, which was used mainly for transport in the Vietnam War. The modifications include forward-looking infrared, inertial global positioning system, armor plating, Doppler navigation systems, terrain-following and terrain-avoidance radar, an on-board computer, and integrated avionics. The MH-53 can be fitted with three guns; a mix of Miniguns or Browning M2s. The Pave Low's mission is low-level, long range, undetected penetration into denied areas, day or night in adverse weather conditions, for infiltration, exfiltration and resupply of special operation forces. It has been retired from US service.

The Pave Low has a crew of 2 pilots, 2 flight engineers and 2 aerial gunners.

Appearance in Campaign

 * S.S.D.D
 * Wolverines!
 * The Hornet's Nest
 * Exodus
 * The Gulag
 * Loose Ends
 * Endgame

Known Pave Lows

 * Six-Four; Status: Unknown
 * Warhorse Five-One; Status: Destroyed
 * Nikolai's Pave Low; Status: Unknown

Appearance in Spec Ops
The Pave Lows featured in Special Ops are all destroyed or are props.
 * Homeland Security
 * Body Count
 * Wardriving

Multiplayer
The MH-53 is available as a killstreak perk after a killstreak of 9 (or 8 with the Hardline perk). Since it is used as an armored attack helicopter, the MH-53 is harder to destroy and packs a bigger punch than regular attack helicopters as it features two gun turrets instead of one. However it is also bigger and slower, making it a potentially easier target to shoot down, provided the enemy guns do not shoot you down first. The helicopter is equipped with one set of flares, which will distract any locked-on missile. After the flares are spent, your missile can track it directly. If a missile strikes the Pave Low while turning to follow the flares, it will still destroy the aircraft just as if it had scored a direct hit. Pave Lows seem to be much more sensitive, with regards to enemy targeting, than their attack counterpart. This may be because it can fire from both sides as opposed to just one.

Calling in a Pave Low rewards the player with 300 XP. Destroying a Pave Low gives 400 XP (4000 in Search and Destroy).



Trivia

 * The MH-53s in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 bear the insignia of the US Air Force's Air Combat Command, based in Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, although all MH-53 Pave Lows were operated by Air Force Special Operations Command.
 * A Callsign in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has the title "Transformer", with Pave Lows on it. This obviously is a reference to the Decepticon |Decepticon Blackout from the 2007 Transformers movie, whose vehicular form was none other than the Pave Low.
 * The Pave Low In Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is modeled after the newer S-80 variants produced by Sikorsky. In contrast actual Pave Lows were the much older S-65 Variant Helicopters. The most visual differences include S-65s being smaller, a straight tail, and the lack of a third engine.
 * The Pave Low's appearance in this game is unusual as all Pave Lows have been retired from service in The U.S. Air Force. However, this could justify its inclusion in several places in the game, such as multiplayer where it's possible for Brazilian militia to call them in, or the single player campaign where Nikolai inexplicably operates one; they could've bought or stolen refurbished Pave Lows that found their way to the black market after being retired from service. The Pave Low has been regarded as one of the safest and most reliable helicopters, which explains why a HVI like Raptor used one. Pave Lows were retired due to high maintenance costs, but with Shepherd's vast funds and limitless resources, a maintenance budget would have meant nothing to him and Shadow Company.
 * The MH-53 in the game has the U.S. Army 23rd Infantry division emblem on his nose. Since the same division was inactive from 1971, that is not supposed to be the case. Also, the U.S. Army doesn't use MH-53 helicopters, only the U.S. Air Force does and it's correct because it has the title "Air Force" on its tail.
 * When looking at the cockpit of a Pave Low in killcam, you can see that the Pave Low actually has a pilot and co-pilot, unlike the attack helicopter.
 * The Pave Low, if shot down with bullets, can be used to quickly get Cold-Blooded Pro, if, while the helicopter is going down, an enemy shoots the fuselage, each bullet that hits counts toward a "kill" for Cold Blooded.
 * When the Pave Low fires its turrets, it appears to use FMJ rounds.
 * Oddly, unlike the Blackhawk and the Sea Knight, you do not ride inside a Pave Low and you never see inside one besides the crashed one in the campaign, you can see part inside of one in Loose Ends.
 * Prestige challenge is Jolly Green Giant obviously a reference to HH-53 (in Polish it is translated so someone Must Re-name the challenge for it to be fair)
 * If a Pavelow is hovering over the large fuel tanks on Quarry, it can be destroyed by exploding the fuel tanks. Explosives are very effective as they are the most immediate way to explode the tanks.
 * In Multiplayer, the Pave Low appears to be glitched. Sometimes Pave Low kills from a killstreak reward does not count against your current killstreak. This can sometimes be redeemed if you get a kill with your weapon after the Pave Low is called in, but before it gets a kill. Also, sometimes Pave Low kills from a Care Package will count towards your killstreak, even if Care Package kills are not supposed to do that. A recent patch was supposed to fix this, but the bug still appears some times.
 * If you use a Stinger on a map with high buildings, you can destroy the Pave Low with a single shot. This happens because the flares will "trick" the missile, but it will curve to hit a building next to the Pave Low, therefore destroying it.
 * If firing a guided missile, like the Stinger or the AT4 after the Pave Low's flares are spent, you must be very careful not to stand in front of or directly under the Pave Low, as it almost always results in being killed.

It is possible to take down a Pave Low with something as simple as a Throwing Knife, only if you hit the rotors, as seen in this video.

At the end of the level "The Hornet's Nest" Nikolai's Pave Low has the markings U.S. Air Force on it's tail section and although it is unknown from where this helicopter originally came it is likely that it came from the base of operations of the U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command at Hurlburt Field, Florida due to the fact that the Pave Low was originally designed for Special Ops and that Hurlburt Field is the closest airfield to Brazil.