CH-53K Development
Abstract
The CH-53 is the only marinized heavy-lift helicopter in the world and is the Marine Corps only heavy-lift helicopter. The CH-53 mission is the conduct of expeditionary heavy-lift assault transport of armored vehicles, equipment and personnel to support distributed operations deep inland from a sea-based center of operations. The CH-53E "Super Stallion" was introduced into operations in 1980 as an upgrade version of the CH-53D. The CH-53E has developed performance degradation, fatigue life, interoperability, maintenance supportability, and other operational concerns. An improved CH-53 is needed to support Marine Air-Ground Task Force heavy-lift requirements in the 21st century joint environment. The CH-53K "King Stallion" will provide improvements in range and payload, performance, cargo handling, turn-around times, reliability and maintainability, interoperability, and survivability. The CH-53K program is required to provide full system capability, including shipboard compatibilities, at Initial Operational Capability (IOC). Total aircraft quantities for the CH-53K program are 205 helicopters. This currently includes one Ground Test Vehicle (GTV) and four Engineering Development Models (EDMs) for System Development and Demonstration (SDD), are purchased with Research, Development, Test & Evaluation (RDT&E) funds. Of the remaining 200 aircraft, six were System Demonstration Test Articles (SDTAs) and are incrementally funded using RDT&E funds and 194 aircraft funded with Aircraft Procurement, Navy (APN). The SDTAs will be used to prove out production and integration processes on a pilot production line, and to provide aircraft for Initial Operational Test and Evaluation. Development contract overruns resulted in insufficient funding levels to continue work on SDTA 5&6 and the contract was modified to pause further expenditure. In order to minimize RDT&E funding shortfalls, the program will discontinue SDTA 5&6 efforts and DD-250 SDTA 5 & 6 parts to become Government property and provide these arts to the production line to make use of the parts to the Government's benefit. Only SDTA 1-4 will remain to be utilized as previously planned. The program of record of aircraft quantity remains at 200 with the remaining 196 aircraft to be APN funded. The proposed plan has been provided during the Above Threshold Reprogramming briefings/discussions, Requests for Information responses, and will be footnoted in the Selected Acquisition Report.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Project
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2020
- Source ID
- 3059_0605212N_5_1319_PB_2020
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