The CH-53K King Stallion flies a test flight in West Palm Beach, Fla. on March 22, 2017. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Molly Hampton)
SYRACUSE, NY: The Marine Corps today announced the CH-53K King Stallion, the service’s premiere heavy lift helicopter, is ready to officially enter operational service, seven years behind the service’s original target.
“My full confidence in the CH-53K’s ability to execute the heavy lift mission is the result of successful developmental and operational testing conducted by Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (HX) 21 and Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron (VMX) 1,” said Lt. Gen Mark Wise, the Marine Corps’ top aviator, in a written statement.
Officially called initial operational capability, the acquisition milestone reflects the helicopter has demonstrated it can perform at the minimum thresholds the service considers necessary to be useful in actual operations.
The first CH-53K Marine Expeditionary Unit detachment is scheduled to deploy in fiscal year 2024.
“In addition to meeting IOC criteria, the CH-53K successfully completed a thorough initial operational test and evaluation period that resulted in over 3,000 mishap free hours flown in various challenging environments and terrain,” according to the Marine Corps statement.
Breaking Defense reported in October the service used the helicopter in a real-world operation for the first time to rescue a broken down aircraft that suffered a hard landing in the White Mountain Range, a few hundred miles north of Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif.
Built by Lockheed Martin subsidiary Sikorksy, the CH-53K is capable of hauling people, equipment, vehicles or just about anything else the service needs, up to 27,000 pounds or three times the weight of its predecessor, the CH-53E.
Despite the program’s high-profile and import to Gen. David Berger’s 2030 Force Design initiative, the helicopter’s original IOC goal was September 2015. The program of record includes roughly 200 aircraft but Sikorsky has finalized a deal with Israel and has been in discussions with Germany, as well as other unnamed countries.
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