Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky has been awarded a not-to-exceed $120.2m firm-fixed-price modification to a previously awarded contract, adding scope to procure additional long-lead time materials to support 21 full rate production (FRP), Lot 9, CH-53K King Stallion helicopters.
Announcing the contract modification on 29 July 2024, the US Department of Defence stated the expected completion date would be March 2025. US Naval Air Systems Command was listed as the contracting activity.
In December 2023 the US Naval Air Systems Command also contracted Sikorsky for long-lead items for 21 Lot 9 CH-53K helicopters for the US Marine Corps (USMC), with work to be completed by March 2025 under a $168m deal.
The CH-53K King Stallion programme moved into FRP in December 2022 as the USMC continued its transition from the CH-53E to the K model, which at the time was scheduled to reach full operating capability in FY2029.
Moving to FRP enables a programme to move beyond low-rate initial production (LRIP) and begin increasing procurement quantities, thereby gaining production efficiencies, and reducing unit costs.
In April 2023 it was announced that the CH-53K had completed another series of tests at sea, including night flights, as it continued its work-up programme after completing initial trials in June 2020.
How well do you really know your competitors?
Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.
Thank you!
Your download email will arrive shortly
Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample
We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form
By GlobalDataUSMC planning for 200 King Stallions
The CH-53K can lift three times that of its predecessor, the CH-53E, according to GlobalData analysis. By December 2023 the USMC had received approximately nine aircraft under LRIP, under a plan to acquire 200 King Stallions over the lifetime of the programme.
Able to carry 12,247kg at a mission radius of 110 nautical miles (203 km) in US Navy high/hot environments, the CH-53K is designed to have a smaller shipboard footprint, lower operating costs per aircraft, and fewer direct maintenance hours per flight hour.
The CH-53K is capable of landing and taking-off in a degraded visual environment and is currently on track for first fleet MEU deployment in FY2025, states the US Navy.
The USMC is investing heavily in heavy-lift and mobility capabilities as it reorientates its force structure away from relatively static operations on land, as seen during campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan, and return to its roots of amphibious operations in the Asia-Pacific region.
