A five-year, multi-year procurement (MYP) contract was signed on January 8 between the Department of War (DOW) and GE Aerospace for both new production and spare T-408 engines, along with associated sustainment services for the CH-53K King Stallion helicopter. The $1.4 billion contract covers five years, Lots 9-13, providing more than $174 million in savings over the Future Years Defense Program (FYDP).
A five-year, multi-year procurement (MYP) contract was signed Sept. 26 between the Department of Defense (DOD) and Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, for a maximum of 99 CH-53K King Stallion heavy lift helicopters. The contract, which at maximum quantity is valued at approximately $10.9 billion, will provide $1.5 billion in savings from 2025-2029.
The CH-53K program is critical to the Marine Corps’ strategic plan. It is replacing the CH-53E Super Stallion as the only marinized heavy-lift rotary-wing aircraft in the U.S. defense inventory.
A CH-53K heavy lift helicopter transported an inoperable F-35B Lightning II airframe from Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River, Maryland to Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Beaufort, South Carolina on Aug. 27.
The King Stallion helicopter was flown by a Marine aircrew from Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron (HMH) 461, MCAS New River, North Carolina. The F-35, known as BF-1, was the first F-35 to perform a vertical landing. It was without its mission and propulsion systems, outer wings, or additional equipment and will be used as a permanent static display at MCAS Beaufort.
Recent successful testing of hand-launched deployments of sonobuoys from a CH-53E Super Stallion have expanded the capabilities of the aircraft, providing increased flexibility for the U.S. Navy to support Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) in the joint environment. Similar testing will soon do the same for the CH-53K King Stallion.
The successful deployments of sonobuoys from a heavy lift helicopter showcases the aircraft’s flexibility and the changing payloads the aircraft will take on as the CH-53K replaces the CH-53E in the fleet.
The CH-53E Super Stallion heavy lift helicopter is breaking new ground for naval aviation. In December 2023, H-53 Heavy Lift Helicopters Program Office (PMA-261) started installation of a first-ever fully integrated, hard-mounted commercial off-the-shelf tablet functioning as a primary mission display on a naval aircraft.
The CH-53K King Stallion completed five full days and nights of envelope expansion testing at sea in the Atlantic last month. The aircraft continued testing in a modern naval environment following initial successful sea trials in June, 2020.
A CH-53K King Stallion heavy lift helicopter from Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron (VMX) performed an external load certification lift of an inoperable F-35 Lightning II airframe in December at Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River, Maryland. The lift was to evaluate the load and inform future lift capabilities.
The CH-53K King Stallion heavy lift helicopter has entered Full Rate Production (FRP) and its deployment phase, following a decision review by Frederick J. Stefany, Acting Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition.
A full authority digital fly-by-wire Flight Control System (FCS) is one of many impressive capabilities setting the CH-53K King Stallion heavy lift helicopter apart from any other heavy lift aircraft. “Full authority” means the FCS provides all of the aircraft motion – not just supplementing the pilot for stability.
The Marine Corps Aviation Association (MCAA) John Glenn Squadron presented excellence in aviation awards to six local Marines and four civilians during a ceremony June 2.
Awards, spanning five categories, highlighted achievements in product delivery, test and evaluation, and overall acquisition accomplishment.
