There's a New King of U.S. Army Helos: The CH-53K King Stallion

[The SC]

New helo is the latest in a long line dating back to Vietnam

The CH-53K King Stallion, the latest in a long line of helicopters bearing the Stallion name, flew for the first time today. The helicopter was built by manufacturer Sikorsky for the U.S. Marine Corps, and will replace the CH-53E Super Stallion.

Under development for nearly ten years, King Stallion refines Sikorsky's heavy lift helicopter design and adds a number of modern features. King Stallion is powered by three General Electric T408 engines generating a beefy 22,500 shaft horsepower. By comparison, the CH-53E Super Stallion's T64 engines generate only 13,140 shp.

This huge boost in power allows the King Stallion to travel up to 460 nautical miles. The helicopter can carry a colossal 27,000-pound external load 110 nautical miles in hot weather conditions—nearly three times longer than the current -E model.

Other improvements lend themselves to the kind of expeditionary operations the Marines excel at. King Stallion can carry up to 55 troops and, thanks to wider interior, Humvee-sized ground vehicles. The helicopter is equipped with an Engine Air Particle Protection System to block sand and dust from entering the engine, and a nose-mounted midair refueling probe coupled with aerial tanker support gives it virtually unlimited range.

King Stallion features crew-friendly improvements including a glass cockpit, fly-by-wire controls, forward-looking infra-red with helmet-mounted navigation displays, and armor to protect passengers and crew.

The first CH-53 flew in 1966. A number of variants were produced, including the search and rescue HH-53 "Super Jolly Green Giant", MH-53 Pave Low special operations helicopter, and the MH-53 "Sea Dragon" mine-hunting helicopter. The current CH-53E fleet is growing old and maintenance intensive; an unexpected wiring problem prevented CH-53Es from deploying to Nepal earlier this year to assist in earthquake relief efforts.

One major downside for the CH-53? Sticker shock. The Marine Corps plans to buy 200 of the helicopters for a total of $29 billion dollars. That's $145 million per helicopter. By comparison, the CH-53E cost $34 million, adjusted for inflation, in 1992. The smaller MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor costs $70 million. Production is expected to begin in 2017.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/mil...7970/ch-53k-king-stallion-makes-first-flight/
http://www.popularmechanics.com/mil...7970/ch-53k-king-stallion-makes-first-flight/
This is a Helicopter that is more expansive than the F-35!!!

Maiden Flight of Fourth Development CH-53K King Stallion

 

[Penguin]

Pentagon gives the green light to Lockheed Martin for 200 helicopters that cost as much as F-35s
https://defence.pk/pdf/threads/lock...o-get-pentagons-approval.486238/#post-9358629