The Sikorsky CH-53-K King Stallion helicopter upgrade is already living up to the hype as one of the most versatile tools available to the U.S. military. New video shows the helicopter refueling in mid-air while carrying an F-35 jet. That new skill is just the beginning for this weapon of the week.
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The U.S. Marine Corps currently has 14 in its fleet with 79 more on the way over the next few years. Sikorsky built the first version in 1966. Since then, each evolution of the CH-53 has delivered a more powerful aircraft than the one that preceded it.
The King Stallion is three times more powerful than its predecessor when it comes to lift, and its rotor blades are made of a lighter composite material. That power, combined with a larger cabin, makes it easier to transport more troops and supplies. It can also fly up to 230 miles per hour, and can carry more than 27,000 pounds over 100 miles.
The Marine Corps’ fleet manager said the CH-53 lifted another large helicopter over mountains more than 12,000 feet high after it crashed. That rescue would have been extremely challenging for previous iterations of the aircraft.
Other material upgrades make the King Stallion helicopter significantly lighter, making it easier to make heavy lifts at altitude. Replacing metal with equally-strong composite material reduces weight. So does a new all-glass cockpit, which makes it easier to see the terrain around the aircraft.
The new technology is not cheap, however. The $122 million CH-53K costs as much as a new F-35 jet. The helicopter is expected to fly for around 50 years, which could help justify the large price tag.
Access the full Weapons and Warfare episode here.
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[RYAN ROBERTSON]
TIME NOW FOR OUR WEAPON OF THE WEEK, AND CHECK OUT THIS BEAST OF A HELICOPTER. WE WERE ALREADY PLANNING TO SPOTLIGHT THE SIKORSKY CH-53-K KING STALLION WHEN A LINK TO THIS VIDEO CAME ACROSS OUR DESK. TALK ABOUT MULTI-TASKING.
THIS MARINE CORPS CREW IS MERELY REFUELING WHILE TRANSPORTING AN F-35 TO A NAVY UNIT IN NEW JERSEY. THAT IS IMPRESSIVE.
AND REALLY, IT JUST SCRATCHES THE SURFACE ON THE LATEST VERSION OF A PLATFORM THAT’S BEEN IN USE SINCE 1966. FROM THE SEA STALLION TO THE SUPER STALLION, TO THE KING STALLION, THE CH-53 IS AS VERSATILE AS IT IS DEPENDABLE.
THE KING STALLION’S PRIMARY USER IS THE U-S MARINE CORPS AND RIGHT NOW THERE ARE 14 IN THE FLEET, WITH ANOTHER 79 CONTRACTED TO BE BUILT.
WHILE IT MAY LOOK SIMILAR TO ITS PREDECESSORS, THE KING STALLION IS SADDLED WITH SOME SIGNIFICANT UPGRADES. THE THREE ENGINES ARE CAPABLE OF GENERATING 7,500 HORSEPOWER, GIVING THE PLATFORM THREE TIMES THE LIFT CAPABILITY OF THE PREVIOUS VERSION. IT ALSO COMES EQUIPPED WITH COMPOSITE ROTOR BLADES AND A WIDER CABIN.
AS FOR ITS PERFORMANCE, ACCORDING TO THE PROGRAM MANAGER, MARINE COLONEL KATE FLEEGER, THE KING STALLION IS ALREADY SHOWING WHAT IT’S CAPABLE OF IN THE HANDS OF MARINE PILOTS.
[Col. Kate Fleeger]
“The ch 53k, was called upon to lift a downed H 60. In Bishop, California, right on the border with Nevada, that had gone down up in the mountains, just for some context, that aircraft, the h 60, weighed 15,000 pounds, and was up at an altitude of or I’m sorry, a elevation of 12,000. Right. So extremely high, and extremely heavy. And 53k is the only aircraft in the DoD inventory that could make that lift.”
[RYAN ROBERTSON]
ONE OF THE REASONS WHY IT CAN MAKE LIFTS LIKE THAT, IS ITS CONSTRUCTION. PARTS THAT USED TO BE MADE OF METAL ARE NOW, AT LEAST IN PART, MADE OF COMPOSITE MATERIALS THAT ARE AS STRONG AS METAL, BUT CONSIDERABLY LIGHTER.
ANOTHER NOD TO TECHNOLOGY CAN BE FOUND IN THE ALL-GLASS COCKPIT. A FEATURE THAT PUTS IT ON PAR WITH MOST OTHER AIRCRAFT BEING PRODUCED TODAY.
WITH A TOP SPEED OF 230 MILES PER HOUR, THE KING STALLION CAN CARRY A SLING LOAD OF 27,000 POUNDS FOR MORE THAN 100 MILES.
OF COURSE ALL OF THIS DOESN’T COME CHEAP. WITH A PRICE TAG OF $122 MILLION, THE CH-53K COSTS AS MUCH AS AN F-35. BUT WITH AN ESTIMATED 50 YEARS OF LIFE EXPECTANCY, UNCLE SAM SHOULD GET PLENTY OF BANG FOR THE BUCK.
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