NAVAIR PATUXENT RIVER, Md. -- The last CH-53E Super Stallion will be delivered to the U.S. Marine Corps November 24, 2003 at the Marine Corps Air Station located in New River, North Carolina by officials from the Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, the helicopter’s manufacturer.

Since December 1980 when the first CH-53E was delivered to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 461 at MCAS New River, 172 Sikorsky-built CH-53E’s have been delivered to the Corps.

The last CH-53E is also being delivered to HMH-461.

Other operators of the three-engined heavy lift helicopter are the U.S. Navy, who has approximately 50 MH-53E Sea Dragon minesweeping helicopters, and the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force, who has 11 S-80M-1 variants. Navy and Marine Corps CH-53E’s and MH-53E’s have tallied more than 722,000 flight hours.

The Super Stallion is the second generation of CH-53 built by Sikorsky. The first, the CH-53A and D, was a twin-engined helicopter developed in the early 1960’s to meet the Marine Corps’ need for a heavy lift helicopter. The CH-53 has served the Marine Corps in every engagement and humanitarian operation since Vietnam.

Monday’s ceremony is scheduled for the MCAS New River flight line at 3:15 p.m. and includes comments delivered by representatives of the Marine Corps, the Naval Air Systems Command and the Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, media availabilities with those representatives and an opportunity to tour the aircraft itself.

Media wishing to attend the event should contact the Public Affairs Office at MCAS New River no later than 4:30 p.m., Friday, and plan to arrive at the Air Station’s front gate by 2:30 p.m. Monday.

The media point of contact for this event is Cpl. Theresa E. Seng at the New River Public Affairs Office at (910) 449-5432 or email: [email protected]

Other public affairs POCs:

Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation
Shawn Watson
Phone: 203-386-3453
Fax: 860-998-7302
Email: [email protected]

Naval Air Systems Command
John Milliman
Phone: 301-995-7410
Fax: 301-757-5966
Email: [email protected]