Sikorsky to Build New Marine CH-53K
By RICHARD R. BURGESS, Managing Editor
The Department of Defense has selected the manufacturer
of the Marine Corps’ current CH-53E Super Stallion heavy-lift
helicopter to build its replacement. Sikorsky Aircraft Co. will design
and build the new CH-53K to meet an initial operational capability
goal of 2015.
Kenneth R. Kreig, undersecretary of defense for
Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, approved a sole-source selection
rather than competition in order to reduce costs and more rapidly
field the helicopter. Retirement of the CH-53E fleet will begin in
2011-2012 at a rate of 11-12 helicopters per year as their fatigue
life expires.
The heavy lift offered by the CH-53 is critical
for the Marine Corps to operate in expeditionary roles, including
transporting vehicles, cargo and personnel, and recovering disabled
aircraft and other equipment. Its ability to operate at high altitudes
has been essential in Afghanistan.
Marine Col. Paul Croisetiere, program manager for
the CH-53K, said the Corps considered participating in the Army’s
Joint Heavy Lift (JHL) program. The CH-53K, however, is also intended
for shipboard use. The JHL is too large to be based at sea on current
or proposed amphibious shipping.
The CH-53K will look like a huskier CH-53E because
of its enlarged cabin — 12 inches wider — to accommodate
the Humvee. It will feature new engines, rotors, transmission, drive
train, enlarged windscreen, improved armor and a digital cockpit
with fly-by-wire controls.
The helicopter will be able to lift twice the payload
and fly twice the range of a CH-53E, and offer improved performance
in mountainous terrain. Survivability enhancements are planned to
better protect the crew and passengers.
Sikorsky will build four YCH-53K engineering and
manufacturing development aircraft and one ground test article in
2010-2014 under an estimated $4.4 billion research, development,
test and evaluation plan. System design and development is scheduled
to begin in March. The first flight is scheduled for 2012.
The Marine Corps plans to procure 156 production
CH-53Ks by 2021. The total value of the program at completion is
estimated at $18.8 billion.
Trident Warrior Fuels Global Hawk Enthusiasm
Navy officials said they were impressed by the debut
performance of their Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk long-range
surveillance unmanned aerial system.
David Seagle, the Navy’s Global Hawk Maritime
Demonstration (GHMD) team leader, told Seapower “enthusiasm
is increasing rapidly” for the system’s maritime capabilities
since the Global Hawk’s participation in the Trident Warrior ’05
experiment that concluded in December.
The two GHMD RQ-4s, equipped with Raytheon’s
Integrated Sensor Suite modified for maritime surveillance — maritime
target acquisition, inverse synthetic aperture radar and the LR-100
electronic surveillance system — flew four flights of approximately
eight hours each off the coast of California. From 60,000 feet, the
Global Hawk detected and tracked a boat and transmitted the electro-optical
and radar imagery to its mission control element.
The next GHMD performance is scheduled for a joint
forces exercise in April.
Seapower Associate Editor Matt Hilburn contributed
to this report.
