CH-53K: The U.S. Marines’ HLR Helicopter Program
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The U.S. Marines have a problem. The CH-53E Super Stallion medium-heavy lift helicopters they rely upon to move troops, vehicles, and supplies off of their ships are wearing out. Fast. Yet the pace demanded by the Global War on Terror is relentless, and usage rates are 3 times normal. Attrition is taking its toll, and CH-53s are being recalled from “boneyard” storage at Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson, AZ, in order to maintain fleet numbers in the face of recent losses and forced retirements. No flyable spare airframes are left, and by 2012-2015, replacements will be urgently needed.
Enter the Heavy Lift Replacement (HLR) program, also known as the CH-53X and given the formal designation CH-53K in April 2006. DID describes the CH-53K’s requirements, covers some of the potential improvements, and notes the treacherous political waters this program will need to survive, in order to wind up delivering US Marines the tools they’ll need to survive.
- The HLR Program Lifts Off
- The CH-53X / CH-53K [updated]
- HLR Program: Contracts, Events & Milestones [updated]
- Appendix A: Flying Between Scylla and Charbydis: Navigating The Political Shoals (April 2006)
- Appendix B: Interesting Ideas: The CH-53X Skycrane Concept
- Appendix C: Additional Readings & Sources
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