Sikorsky tooling up for CH-53K | Aviation International News

Sikorsky tooling up for CH-53K

Sikorsky has begun the tooling process for the U.S.

By David Donald • Contributor - UK

August 5, 2008

Sikorsky has begun the tooling process for the U.S. Marine Corps’ next-generation CH-53K heavylift helicopter, while General Electric is preparing to run the intended powerplant for the first time next January. Those events keep the program on track for a first flight scheduled for the first quarter of 2012. Around 90 percent of the supplier base has been selected.

Sikorsky received a contract for the CH-53K in April 2006. The Marine Corps needs the aircraft to replace the current CH-53E fleet, now heavily in use in the “Global War on Terror.” IOC for the CH-53K is slated for September 2015, with FOC planned for 2021. Despite service life extension programs, the “Echo” won’t last much beyond 2020. Moreover, the Marines have changed the emphasis of their missions, from ship-to-shore operations to an expeditionary force, for which the CH-53E no longer serves as the ideal platform.

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