Development Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion

ch-53k king stallion prototype during roll out ceremony

the marine corps had been planning upgrade of ch-53es keep them in service, plan stalled. sikorsky proposed new version, ch-53x , , in april 2006 usmc signed contract 156 aircraft ch-53k valued @ $18.8 billion deliveries completed 2021. marines planning start retiring ch-53es in 2009 , needed new helicopters aircraft start hitting structural life limits in 2011–12. flight testing of ch-53k expected begin in 2011.

the ch-53k general redesign of ch-53e. main improvements new engines , cockpit layout. ch-53k have on twice lift capacity , radius of action of ch-53e, , wider cargo hold allow carry humvee internally. ch-53k feature new stubby composite sponsons cut overall width, giving helicopter narrower footprint shipboard operations. equipped new composite rotor blade system, technology similar found on uh-60 black hawk helicopter. ch-53k use general electric ge38-1b engine. engine beat out pratt , whitney canada pw150 , derivative of rolls-royce ae 1107c-liberty used on v-22 osprey.

sikorsky has announced major subcontractors: aurora flight sciences (main rotor pylon), exelis aerostructures (tail rotor pylon , sponsons), gkn aerospace (aft transition), onboard systems international (external cargo hook system), rockwell collins (avionics management system), sanmina-sci corporation (intercommunications system), , spirit aerosystems (cockpit , cabin).

in august 2007, usmc increased order of ch-53ks 156 227. in 2007, first flight planned november 2011 initial operating capability (ioc) 2015. when ch-53k enters service, serve usmc s heavy lift helicopter mv-22 (medium lift) , uh-1y (light lift). rand released report in 2007 on seabasing suggested higher ratio of ch-53ks mv-22s reduce deployment times naval ships.

in 2008, design work underway. progress being made in weight reduction efforts meet operational requirements. increases in engine performance , rotor blade improvements options meet requirements if needed. rotor mast tilt angle decreased , components shifted ensure center of gravity not shift far rearward fuel burned. design requirements frozen in 2009–10 , not changed since.

on 22 january 2010, sikorsky aircraft opened $20 million precision components technology center in stratford, connecticut, focus on production of ch-53k. facility produce rotating , stationary swashplates, main , tail rotor hubs, , main rotor sleeves among other parts. on 3 august 2010, ch-53k passed critical design review (cdr), , program ready test production. however, ioc fielding date deferred 2018. sikorsky had proposed build 4 pre-production aircraft operational evaluations.

a ch-53k prepares land @ sikorsky aircraft

on 4 december 2012, sikorsky delivered first ch-53k, ground test vehicle (gtv) airframe. put through many hours of powered ground checks. preliminary tests included calibrating aircraft s fuel system , attaching measuring devices @ various test locations on airframe record temperature, aerodynamic loads, pressure, , vibrations. 2 additional static ground test articles underwent structural testing @ company s main manufacturing plant in stratford, connecticut.

in january 2013, program estimated cost us$23.17 billion after procurement of planned 200 ch-53k helicopters. in april 2013, u.s. navy program manager commented development of ch-53k proceeding might become operational ahead of schedule. flight testing planned 2015 having been delayed more year faulty components.

on 31 may 2013, navy awarded sikorsky $435 million contract deliver 4 prototype ch-53ks operational evaluation , mission testing; sikorsky says first 2 flight-test vehicles examine structural flight loads while third , fourth prototypes concentrate on validating ch-53k’s general performance, propulsion system , avionics. of 22 january 2016, second of 4 had been delivered.

the israeli air force has shown interest in ch-53k. in 2009, service said evaluate new variant after flies. in august 2015, israeli air force formalized requirement ch-53k heavy transport helicopter, listing type high priority item enable service perform missions platform capable of. israel s current ch-53 yasur fleet remain operational until 2025.

on 1 october 2013, sikorsky issued $8.5 million contract kratos defense & security solutions design , development of maintenance training systems ch-53k. contract includes full-fidelity maintenance training device suite (mtds) , helicopter emulation maintenance trainer (hemt) marine corps. full-fidelity mtds provides true-to-life environment training , evaluating maintainers of multiple subsystems on ch-53k platform. supports maintenance training remove-and-replace training avionics systems, electrical systems, hydraulic systems, , other mechanical subsystems. hemt uses 3d virtual environment support maintenance training scenarios. provide marine ch-53k enlisted aircrew , maintainers accurate environment train functional tests, fault isolation, troubleshooting, , remove , installation 27 subsystems.

on 24 january 2014, ch-53k gtv ignited ge38-1b engines , spun rotor head without rotors attached. engine ignition significant step after independent subsystems testing had been completed. low-rate production planned proceed 2015 2017. ch-53k planned achieve initial operating capability (ioc) in 2019, full-rate production commencing sometime between , 2022. usmc planning 8 active ch-53k squadrons, 1 training squadron, , 1 reserve squadron. in april 2014, testing blades attached began, , systems integration next. flight tests start in late 2014 , last 3 years. 4 engineering aircraft each fly approximately 500 hours. maiden flight has been delayed, due challenges titanium quill shafts in transmission system , gear box.

on 5 may 2014, general james f. amos announced during official rollout ch-53k called king stallion .

on 27 october 2015, ch-53k took first flight.