The H-53 Heavy Lift Helicopters program office (PMA-261) took delivery of the first training device for the CH-53K King Stallion helicopter on April 14, 2020.  The Containerized Flight Training Device (CFTD) is housed at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) New River, Jacksonville, NC.

The CH-53K King Stallion aced an air-to-air refueling test this week, successfully demonstrating long-range logistics support capabilities for the U.S. Marine Corps. The 4.5 hour test was accomplished over the Chesapeake Bay with a KC-130J aerial refueling (AR) tanker.

“The aircraft went to the tanker this week and it was very successful, proving it is a long-range vertical logistic workhorse,” said Col. Jack Perrin, H-53 heavy lift helicopters (PMA-261) program manager.

The CH-53E Super Stallion has begun initial testing/development of a new low speed precision control (LSPC) system to provide aircraft stabilization in a degraded visual environment (DVE).

The LSPC system will improve safety and prevent damage or loss of aircraft. It provides flight control augmentation to reduce the workload on the aircrew in landings and external lift evolutions during brownout environments – the most difficult flight regimes.

Maj. Clayton Wade Piersall, training lead for the Marine Corps’ CH-53K program, earned Admiral Merlin O’Neill Officer of the Year during a ceremony in January at Naval Air Station Patuxent River.

NAS Patuxent River and Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division leadership give the annual Adm. Merlin O’Neill Officer of the Year award to a junior officer assigned to activities onboard NAS Patuxent River who demonstrates superior performance and leadership, with an emphasis on volunteer activities and involvement in the community.

When supply system shortfalls led to a work stoppage on two H-53 heavy-lift helicopters at Fleet Readiness Center East, the depot’s manufacturing and engineering teams stepped up to close the gap. 

Industry and government engineers have mitigated an ongoing engine integration issue for the CH-53K King Stallion – the new heavy-lift helicopter from Sikorsky for the United States Marine Corps.  

This “tiger team” of experts from a variety of engineering backgrounds came together to find and optimize aircraft modifications using state-of-the-art computational modeling methodologies, risk management, flight test data and Systems Engineering tools.