Lockheed Martin-Sikorsky sent the first CH-53K King Stallion helicopter from its West Palm Beach, Florida, facility to U.S. Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, in late June, the parties announced this month. The Naval Air Systems Command (Navair) expects that seven new CH-53Ks will make the transition to Patuxent River for testing over the next year.
The first helicopter to make the transition—an engineering development model (EDM)—on June 30 flew approximately 810 miles from Sikorsky’s development flight-test center. The total flight time was six hours; pilots made en route fuel stops at NAS Mayport, Florida, and Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina.
Four EDM helicopters had completed more than 450 flight-test hours at West Palm Beach as of the July 5 announcement. Plans called for testers at NAS Patuxent River to conduct flight quality, ground and avionics testing. An integrated test team consisting of Sikorsky, Navair and Marine Corps personnel will perform flight tests at both locations through the transition.
“With each flight hour logged on this platform, we are one step closer to bringing our nation’s most powerful helicopter to the Marines,” said Col. Hank Vanderborght, program manager with Navair’s PMA-261 heavy lift helicopters program office. “Bringing the CH-53K flight-test program to Pax is an exciting milestone; many of the employees dedicated to its advancement now have the opportunity to work right down the street from it.”
The CH-53K program of record calls for the Marine Corps to receive 200 copies of the dramatically improved heavy-lift helicopter. The first six helicopters, all development models, are under contract, with deliveries beginning next year. An initial operational capability declaration by the Marines is on track for 2019, Navair said.
Long-lead procurement of parts and materials has also started for two additional helicopters, which represent the first low-rate initial production (LRIP) aircraft. LRIP deliveries begin in 2020, Lockheed Martin said. Final assembly of production CH-53Ks will take place at Sikorsky’s Stratford, Connecticut manufacturing site, beginning this summer.