Sikorsky has announced the delivery of its the first CH-53 King Stallion helicopter to the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC).
The Stratford-headquartered Sikorsky ”“ a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin ”“ is contracted to deliver 200 CH-53 King Stallions to the USMC, replacing the CH-53E Super Stallion fleet that has been in use since 1981. The first helicopter will be stationed at Marine Corps Air Station New River in Jacksonville, North Carolina, where it will undergo a Supportability Test Plan to determine its sustainability and maintenance levels. The second helicopter is scheduled for delivery in early 2019.
“Our first delivery of a CH-53K to the Marine Corps marks the start of a new generation of true heavy lift helicopter deliveries by Sikorsky that bring unsurpassed and expanded capability across the modern battlefield to provide tremendous mission flexibility and efficiency in delivering combat power, humanitarian assistance or disaster relief for those in need,” Dan Schultz, president of Sikorsky, said.
