🇺🇸🚁 Sikorsky CH 53K - Senate Armed Services Committee April 10, 2019 - Lieutenant General Steven Rudder

Christian Albrecht

SENATE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE SEAPOWER SUBCOMMITTEE
April 10, 2019
Marine Corps Ground Modernization and Naval Aviation Programs
https://youtu.be/D_1ZBIIqm6A
https://lockheedmartin.com/ch53k
https://www.aviation.marines.mil/
CH-53K Heavy Lift Replacement Program: The FY 2020 President's Budget requests $516.7 million in RDT&E to continue the CH-53K Engineering Manufacturing Development phase and $1.0 billion in APN for procurement of six Lot 4 LRIP aircraft, including Advance Procurement and initial spares. The need for a heavy lift replacement aircraft remains vital to supporting the Marine Corps in present and future warfighting concepts. In spite of the recent setbacks associated with the program’s development – rate of closure in technical deficiencies – all of the technical deficiencies are solvable issues. To date, the CH-53K has flown more than 1,370 flight hours towards the completion of the program. It has also demonstrated the lifting of 36,000 lbs and operational gear like the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle. During FY 2020, the program will continue to execute developmental test flights including propulsion qualification, initial shipboard qualification, aerial refueling, hot/high altitude testing, structural loads demonstration, window/ramp guns testing and fire extinguishing system development.