The Marine Corps’ next generation CH-53K King Stallion heavy lift helicopter successfully lifted off for the first time on a flight at West Palm Beach, Fla., on Tuesday, manufacturer Sikorsky announced. “Having independently tested the aircraft’s many components and subsystems … we are now moving on to begin full aircraft system qualification via the flight test program,” company program vice president Mike Torok said in a release. The clean-slate design is similar in size to the company’s legacy CH-53, but is capable of hefting a 27,000-pound payload—nearly triple the Marine Corps’ current version—some 110 nautical miles in hot and high-altitude conditions, according to the company. Improvements include more powerful turboshaft engines, fly-by-wire flight controls, advanced rotor blades, a glass-cockpit, standard pallet compatible cargo system, reliability enhancements, and a modern self-defensive suite. The marines plan to purchase a total of 200 CH-53Ks to replace the service’s current Sea Stallion fleet. Sikorsky will deliver four helicopters to support flight testing over the next three years. Initial operational capability is targeted for 2019.
Now Enlisted Airmen Can Stay in Uniform Longer
Dec. 8, 2023
The Air Force is extending the amount of time Airmen can spend at most enlisted ranks by two years, as the service looks to combat sluggish recruiting and balance its force structure. The High Year of Tenure (HYT) program sets limits on how long service members can spend in each grade…