Sikorsky Formally Responds To Call For Competition For Germany’s New Heavy Lift Helicopter

The CH-53K moves more equipment over longer distances and higher altitudes than any other heavy lift aircraft in production

The Sikorsky CH-53K, shown here during ILA Berlin 2018, is an all-new aircraft designed to ensure reliability, low-maintenance, high availability and enhanced survivability in extreme environments. Photo courtesy Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company.

BERLIN May 27, 2019 – Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company (NYSE: LMT), formally responded to the German Air Force "Schwerer Transporthubschrauber" (STH) Program call for competition. Sikorsky expects to offer the most modern heavy lift helicopter in production, the CH-53K King Stallion, in response to the official Request for Proposals, which is expected this summer. The new STH heavy lifter will allow the Bundeswehr to move troops and equipment more quickly, safely and effectively than ever before.

“The CH-53K is the modern heavy lift solution that will provide the German Armed Forces with a safe, reliable heavy lift helicopter that can be entered into service seamlessly without need for upgrades for the next several decades. It is the only heavy lifter that will remain in production through 2032 and beyond,” said Sikorsky President Dan Schultz. “Our strong German industry team will provide sustainment and maintenance over the next 40-50 years ensuring high-quality jobs across the country for decades to come.”

Sikorsky and its Germany industry partners, including Rheinmetall, remain confident that the Sikorsky CH-53K offers the best value to the Bundeswehr and offers unrivaled growth potential over its lifecycle. German partners include: Rheinmetall, MTU, ZF Luftfahrttechnik GmbH, Autoflug, HYDRO Systems KG, Collins Aerospace, Vincorion, Hensoldt, Liebherr and Rohde & Schwarz.

“Sikorsky is already today in close partnerships with more than 10 leading German technology companies, including the exclusive teammates Rheinmetall, MTU, Autoflug and HYDRO,” said Susanne Wiegand, Member of the Management Board, Rheinmetall Defence. “This team is a fundamental key factor for a successful STH program, high availability rates of the helicopters and creates best added value for Germany and its industry. We are looking forward that the procurement decision will be made in favor of the CH-53K.”

King Stallion Update
The U.S. Marine Corps on May 17 awarded Sikorsky a contract for 12 more CH-53K aircraft. Sikorsky is now on contract for a total of 14 LRIP aircraft, plus the four development and test aircraft that will also go to the Marines, with one aircraft already delivered. The Marine Corps program of record is 200 aircraft.

“We are very glad about the decision of the U.S. Marine Corps,” Wiegand said. “This sign of confidence from the U.S. government perfectly demonstrates the trust in the performance of the CH-53K. It is the most modern, intelligent and powerful available Heavy Lift Helicopter in the market and we were able to get an impression of the CH-53K’s enormous capabilities in USA. Countless successful test flights with the helicopter are approved for the advanced maturity of the test program.”

The all-new CH-53K, designed to be survivable in the most difficult conditions, has flown more than 1,400 test hours and has met all the outer reaches of the test envelope. The King Stallion is in the midst of a rigorous test program to ensure safe, effective operations moving more equipment over longer distances and higher altitudes than any other heavy lift aircraft in production.

Accomplishments to date include: high altitude, hot temperature, and degraded visual environment flights, maximum weight single-point cargo hook sling load of 36,000 pounds (16,329 kilograms); forward flight speed of over 200 knots; 60 degrees angle of bank turns; altitude of 18,500 feet mean sea level (MSL); 12-degree slope landings and takeoffs; external load auto-jettison; and gunfire testing.

Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion

©Sikorsky

El nuevo CH-53K es un helicóptero de alta capacidad, muy fiable y con mantenimiento reducido, lo que le permitirá operar bajo las condiciones más difíciles y desde los lugares más duros y austeros del mundo.

Ha superado ya las 1.400 horas en vuelos de pruebas y alcanzado todos los objetivos para los que fue diseñado sobre el papel. Por el momento se encuentra inmerso en el riguroso programa de test para garantizar que los ejércitos que lo operarán puedan transportar tropas y equipos a mayores altitudes de forma más rápida y segura.

Puede levantar más de 16 toneladas, lo que lo convierte en el helicóptero de carga pesada más poderoso jamás construido en los Estados Unidos. El diseño tecnológicamente avanzado del King Stallion cumplirá con los futuras necesidades en el campo de batalla durante las próximas décadas en misiones como ayuda humanitaria, transporte de tropas y equipo, evacuación de víctimas (CASEVAC), apoyo de fuerzas de Operaciones Especiales y búsqueda y rescate en combate (CSAR).

Los logros que ha conseguido hasta la fecha incluyen vuelos a elevada altitud, en altas temperaturas ambientales y con baja visibilidad, carga mediante gancho baricéntrico a un único punto de 36,000 libras (16.329 kilogramos), velocidad superior a los 200 kts, altitud de 18.500 ft, desembarques y despegues en pendientes de 12°, carga externas auto-expulsadas (mediante el gancho con auto-jettison), además de diferentes pruebas de fuego.

El CH-53K Heavy Lift Helicopter comenzó a realizar los test en entornos visuales degradados (DVE) en el campo de pruebas de Yuma. El área de aterrizaje designada para las mismas se remueve regularmente para crear las condiciones de polvo más extremas.

Aunque su apariencia es similar a los antiguos CH-53 es un helicóptero más rápido, robusto, liviano y con casi el triple de capacidad de carga útil frente a sus predecesores.

CH-53K, ©Sikorsky

Sus tres turboejes General Electric T408 entregan hasta un total de 22.500 CV de potencia.

Tiene una cabina más ancha en 30 cm frente a su competidor más directo, fabricada por Spirit AeroSystems en Kansas, con capacidad para transportar palés 463L y Fenneck europeo, ofrece una gran flexibilidad en su configuración para una mejor eficacia de la misión y facilitar la carga y descarga sin la necesidad de reconfigurarlo y retirar los asientos de tropa.

©Sikorsky

Sikorsky demostró la capacidad del King Stallion para su transporte aéreo estratégico, a través de un equipo de profesionales del propio fabricante se desmontó parte del helicóptero para meterlo en la bodega de carga de un C-17. El equipo completó el mismo ejercicio con un C-5, y como resultado el programa CH-53K obtuvo la certificación de Actividad de carga de pruebas de aerotransportabilidad de la USAF.

El King Stallion es un escalón más en los 50 años de éxito operacional y de fabricación de Sikorsky con sus predecesores, el CH-53A, CH-53D/G y CH-53E.

Sikorsky se adjudica un contrato de 717 millones de dólares para el mantenimiento de los Super Stallion y Sea Dragon, de los US Marines y la US Navy.

STRATFORD, Connecticut, 5 de noviembre de 2018 / PRNewswire / - Sikorsky, una compañía de Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT), ha recibido un contrato por un valor de 717 millones de dólares. Éste brindará un completo apoyo logístico y de suministros para toda la flota de helicópteros en servicio del CH-53E Super Stallion y MH-53E Sea Dragon.

El CH-53E es un helicóptero de carga pesada probado en conflicto que continúa prestando apoyo al Cuerpo de Marines y la Armada de los Estados Unidos en todo tipo de misiones, dentro y fuera de las fronteras norteamericanas.

El alcance del contrato de logística incluye reparaciones, revisiones, repuestos, resolución de obsolescencia y servicio de administración durante cuatro años.

La completa disposición (expandida) cubrirá los repuestos de componentes críticos para todas las reparaciones adicionales, entre las que se incluyen palas de los rotores principales y de cola, MGBs, cabezas del rotor principal, componentes de los controles de vuelo, así como otros sistemas como la sonda de reabastecimiento de combustible y componentes del sistema de carga.

"Esperamos que la logística extendida, basada en el rendimiento, mejore de forma considerable la disponibilidad de material y reduzca los costes de soporte al mismo tiempo que aumenta la preparación general de las aeronaves", declaraciones de Pierre Garant, gerente principal de programas de Sikorsky, "Nuestra infraestructura de soporte y nuestros éxitos logísticos anteriores basados ​​en el rendimiento darán como resultado que Sikorsky continúe brindando de manera totalmente fiable el apoyo a la misión crítica para el soldado".

El pesado helicóptero de carga del Cuerpo de Marines está diseñado para el transporte de suministros y materiales pesados, el CH-53E Super Stallion es compatible con la mayoría de aeronaves de clase anfibia. Con una autonomía de cuatro horas y media, el helicóptero puede mover equipos pesados ​​en terrenos escarpados con mala meteorología y en condiciones nocturnas. El MH-53E Sea Dragon satisface la necesidad de la US Navy en misiones de mantenimiento de largo alcance, además de operaciones de carga pesada. El CH-53E ha demostrado constantemente su valía para los comandantes de flota gracias a su enorme versatilidad y alcance.

El contrato brindará un apoyo vital y asequible a toda la flota, ampliando una plataforma fiable de sostenimiento a largo plazo a medida que la aeronave continúe operando a pleno rendimiento hasta la introducción del helicóptero de reemplazo, el Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion.

CH-53K KING STALLION FLIGHT TESTING BEGINS TRANSITION TO PATUXENT RIVER NAVAL AIR STATION

The CH-53K King Stallion arrives at Naval Air Station, Patuxent River on June 30, 2017. Photo courtesy U.S. Navy.

PATUXENT RIVER, Md., July 5, 2017/PRNewswire/ -- Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) today announced the CH-53K King Stallion program has successfully completed its first extended "cross country" flight from Sikorsky's West Palm Beach, Florida, facility to Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland. This is the first of several such flights that will occur during 2017 and 2018 as the CH-53K flight test program transitions to the flight test facilities at Patuxent River(PAX).

The CH-53K helicopter flew on June 30 from Sikorsky's Development Flight Center in West Palm Beach to PAX, a distance of approximately 810 miles. Total flight time was six hours, with two en route fuel stops at Naval Air Station Mayport, Florida, and Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina. View the video.

"This first movement of CH-53K flight testing to our customer's facility denotes that the aircraft have achieved sufficient maturity to begin transitioning the focus of the test program from envelope expansion to system qualification testing," said Dr. Michael Torok, Sikorsky Vice President, CH-53K Programs. "This has been the plan from the beginning and is another important step toward getting these fantastic aircraft into the hands of the U.S. Marine Corps."

The four CH-53K Engineering Development Model (EDM) aircraft have already completed more than 450 hours of flight testing at Sikorsky's Development Flight Center in West Palm Beach, and continue to drive to the edges of the operational envelope with both internal and external loads. The flight test program will continue to operate as it has from the beginning under an Integrated Test Team (ITT) that is comprised of Sikorsky, U.S. Navy Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), and U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) personnel. Testing will continue in both locations, West Palm Beach and Patuxent River throughout the transition period.

"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," said Col. Hank Vanderborght, U.S. Marine Corps program manager for the Naval Air Systems Command's Heavy Lift Helicopters program, PMA-261.

In April, the CH-53K King Stallion Program successfully passed its Defense Acquisition Board (DAB) and achieved a Milestone C decision that approves funding for low rate initial production.

The CH-53K provides unmatched heavy lift capability with three times the lift of the CH-53E that it replaces. With the increased payload capability and a 12-inch wider internal cabin compared to the predecessor CH-53E, the CH-53K's increased payload capability can take the form of a variety of relevant payloads ranging from multiple U.S. Air Force standard 463L pallets to an internally loaded High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) or a European Fennek armored personnel carrier. In addition, the CH-53K can carry up to three independent external loads at once providing incredible mission flexibility and system efficiency.

The CH-53K offers enhanced safety features for the warfighter. Safety is enhanced with full authority fly-by-wire flight controls and mission management that reduces pilot workload and enables the crew to focus on mission execution because the CH-53K all but "flies itself."  Features include advanced stability augmentation, flight control modes that include attitude command-velocity hold, automated approach to a stabilized hover, position hold and precision tasks in degraded visual environments, and tactile cueing that all permit the pilot to confidently focus on the mission at hand.

Further, the CH-53K has improved reliability and maintainability that exceeds 89 percent mission reliability with a smaller shipboard logistics footprint than the legacy CH-53E.

The U.S. Department of Defense's Program of Record remains at 200 CH-53K aircraft. The first six of the 200 Program of Record aircraft are under contract and scheduled to start delivery next year to the Marine Corps. Two additional aircraft, the first low rate initial production aircraft, are under long lead procurement for parts and materials, with deliveries scheduled to start in 2020. The Marine Corps intends to stand up eight active duty squadrons, one training squadron, and one reserve squadron to support operational requirements.

U.S. MARINE CORPS AWARDS CONTRACT TO LOCKHEED MARTIN TO BEGIN CH-53K HELICOPTER PRODUCTION

Connecticut plant to build heavy lift helicopters

STRATFORD, Conn., Sept. 1, 2017/PRNewswire/ -- Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, has awarded Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) a Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) Lot 1 contract to build two production CH-53K King Stallion helicopters. This contract follows the April 4, 2017, Milestone C decision by the Defense Acquisition Board (DAB) approving LRIP production.  

"Gaining the U.S. Marine Corps approval to enter into production and the award of the first contract are milestones made possible by the tremendous achievements of the joint Sikorsky, Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) and U.S. Marine Corps team," said Dr. Mike Torok, vice president, CH-53K programs. "This is what we have been striving for - to deliver this amazing capability to the U.S. Marine Corps."

Under the $303,974,406 contract, Sikorsky will deliver two production aircraft to the U.S. Marine Corps in 2020 along with spares and logistical support. Aircraft assembly will take place at Sikorsky's headquarters in Stratford, Connecticut.

"We have just successfully launched the production of the most powerful helicopter our nation has ever designed. This incredible capability will revolutionize the way our nation conducts business in the battlespace by ensuring a substantial increase in logistical through put into that battlespace. I could not be prouder of our government-contractor team for making this happen," said Col Hank Vanderborght, U.S. Marine Corps program manager for the Naval Air Systems Command's Heavy Lift Helicopters program, PMA-261.

The CH-53K King Stallion provides unmatched capability with three times the lift capability of its predecessor, the CH-53E Super Stallion. The helicopter cabin, a full foot wider, gives increased payload capacity to internally load 463L cargo pallets, High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWV) or a European Fenneck armored personnel carrier while still leaving the troop seats installed. The CH-53K's external hook system provides the capability to lift three independent external loads simultaneously. These true heavy lift internal and external cargo improvements give the Marine Corps tremendous mission flexibility and efficiency in delivering combat power in support of the Marine Air Ground Task Force or in delivering humanitarian assistance or disaster relief to those in need.

The King Stallion also brings enhanced safety features for the warfighter. Full authority fly-by-wire flight controls and mission management reduce pilot workload enabling the crew to focus on mission execution. Features include advanced stability augmentation, flight control modes that include attitude command-velocity hold, automated approach to a stabilized hover, position hold and precision tasks in degraded visual environments, and tactile cueing. These features permit the pilot to focus confidently on the mission at hand while operating in degraded environments.

The CH-53K's internal health monitoring systems with fault detection/fault isolation, coupled with a digital aviation logistics maintenance system that interfaces with the Fleet Common Operating Environment for fleet management, provides improved combat readiness for the Marine Corps.

The U.S. Department of Defense's Program of Record remains at 200 CH-53K aircraft. The U.S. Marine Corps intends to stand up eight active duty squadrons, one training squadron, and one reserve squadron to support operational requirements.

Strengthening Partnerships: Sikorsky's CH-53K Heavy Lift Helicopter Makes Historic First Flight in Germany

HOLZDORF, Germany, April 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) company, and the U.S. Marine Corps' CH-53K heavy lift helicopterreached another historic first. The CH-53K, which recently arrived in Germany, flew its first flight on foreign soil at Holzdorf Air Base, Germany. The aircraft executed a flawless flight around the air base, as the Sikorsky team continues preparation for the King Stallion's public international debut at the ILA Berlin Air Show, April 25 - 29.

For more information, visit www.lockheedmartin.com/ch53k.