Marine Corps official floats modular mission payloads for new heavy lift helo
“How can we make this kind of truck … be more than just a truck?” said Col. Kate Fleeger, the Marines' CH-53K program manager.
“How can we make this kind of truck … be more than just a truck?” said Col. Kate Fleeger, the Marines' CH-53K program manager.
If approved by US regulators, the agreement would reunite Boeing with the Wichita-based production facilities it spun off in 2005 in a bid to lower costs.
The Germany Ministry of Defense has selected Boeing's CH-47F Chinook over Lockheed Martin Sikorsky's CH-53K.
In plant tour, Sikorsky official says "hundreds" of parts could be 3D printed if chosen for Army's high-profile FARA and FLRAA competitions.
The first choppers are expected by 2025, but the addition of Israeli high-tech systems could delay delivery, sources said.
The deal includes 12 King Stallions with options for an additional six in the future.
Israel plans to install domestically made systems on the American-made helo.
The CH-53K has had a rough two years filled with testing issues and schedule delays, but it executed a real mission in September.
To illustrate the urgency, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. General Aviv Kochavi flew last week in an old CH-53 (Yasur) in a scenario of long-range flights that moved a team of special commandos deep into "enemy" territory to demonstrate the rescue of a downed pilot.
The political chaos in Israel, with a third general election in less than a year has delayed decisions about crucial aircraft, including the replacement for the old CH-53, whether to buy the V-22 and the urgent need for the KC-46A .
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An IDF team has been taking test flights aboard Lockheed Martin's new CH-53K in Maryland, but Boeing's CH-47 Chinook is in the running too -- and both programs could use a boost against their American critics.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) ground forces command want an immediate replacement for the CH-53 . "It is natural that operational needs differ, but this is the task of the highest command to evaluate the needs and make a decision," a senior Israeli defense official said.