US Marines receive two new helicopters
Sikorsky delivered two CH-53K heavy-lift helicopters to the US Marine Corps in the fourth quarter of 2022
The aircraft join a fleet of seven already in operation at the Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) New River in Jacksonville, North Carolina.
The US Navy declared Full Rate Production for the CH-53K program in December 2022 – a decision which is expected to increase production of this aircraft type to over 20 helicopters per year.
The CH-53K is designed to serve in a range of operations, including humanitarian relief, firefighting, and search and rescue. It is expected to remain in production until at least 2032.
Marine Corps Captain Chris Vanderweerd of the Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 461, said that the CH-53K will enable the military to ‘take up to 30 fully loaded marines … and insert them into a zone in a timely and safe manner where they don’t have to risk going in via convoy’.
“We can take them airborne and cut the time drastically that they are in enemy engagement zone essentially,” he explained.
Oliver Cuenca
Oliver Cuenca is a Junior Editor at AirMed&Rescue. He was previously a News and Features Journalist for the rail magazine IRJ until 2021, and studied MA Magazine Journalism at Cardiff University. His favourite helicopter is the AW169 – the workhorse of the UK air ambulance sector! He also led the creation of Waypoint: The AirMed&Rescue podcast, serving as its Production Editor and co-host.