helicopters

“These test flights are part of our continuing demonstration of how DEFIANT supports the Army’s missions of massing combat power on the objective area,” Jay Macklin, Director of Business Development, Lockheed Martin Sikorsky Army, Future Vertical Lift and Innovations

As the video in this post shows, in three demonstrations during the same flight, the Lockheed Martin Sikorsky-Boeing SB>1 DEFIANT helicopter demonstrated it is not only maneuverable, survivable, and fast, but also provides the critical external lift capability of traditional rotorcraft. With DEFIANT X, the team’s offering for the US Army’s Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA), crews will deliver troops and cargo to the objective (also known as the “X”) in future combat at twice the speed and range of the current fleet.

During the tests, the dual-engine DEFIANT demonstrated single-engine operations which highlighted the added survivability of the aircraft should an engine sustain combat damage.

“These test flights are part of our continuing demonstration of how DEFIANT supports the Army’s missions of massing combat power on the objective area,” said Jay Macklin, a retired Army Colonel, and Air Assault Task Force Commander and business development director of Sikorsky Army, Future Vertical Lift and Innovations, in a Lockheed Martin news release. “During INDOPACOM operations, DEFIANT X’s reach and unsurpassed demonstrated payload capability, enables not only long-range Air Assault operations, but also ship-to-shore sustainment at extended distances well outside the reach of threat capabilities. DEFIANT X is a highly maneuverable aircraft that not only gets you to the fight but allows you to bring the fight with you, fitting into landing zones that currently accommodate the UH-60 BLACK HAWK.”

Sikorsky chief test pilot Bill Fell, a retired US Army Master aviator, described the recent tests, which occurred at the company’s development flight center in West Palm Beach, Florida:

• Achieved ADS-33 Level One: DEFIANT flew slalom maneuvers at three different speeds between 60 knots and 100 knots. DEFIANT easily achieved ADS-33 level one tolerance during the final run on the 500-foot-gate course as required by the aeronautical design standard slalom course, Fell said.

“Many rotorcraft struggle with this maneuver, but DEFIANT performed flawlessly,” Fell said. “It was the easiest I have completed this task, having flown it in roughly 10 different rotorcraft. This will provide warfighters an advantage when maneuvering to avoid and evade enemy forces.”

• External Load Lift and Flight: DEFIANT continued its external load lift testing (previous testing included lifting 5,300 pounds) and traveled out of the test yard with an external load. Using a cargo hook, DEFIANT took a 3,400-pound load away from the airfield and then returned it a short time later. Carrying the external load, DEFIANT reached speeds near 100 knots and a 20-degree angle of bank out-of-the-yard flight with external load for an X2™ technology aircraft.

“This capability will allow Army units to move equipment or build Forward Operating Bases with DEFIANT like they do today,” Fell said. “These sorties will, however, be faster as the return trip for the next load will happen at X2 speed – twice the speed of a Black Hawk.”

• Single Engine Demonstration: To demonstrate one aspect of DEFIANT’s survivability, the pilots placed one engine in idle at 100 knots and completed an approach to a hover, hover, and landing at a mission representative weight, Fell explained.

“Hovering with one engine – which is a real scenario our troops could face if an engine sustained combat damage – is another example of how we bring the Sikorsky motto into all our aircraft ‘pioneering flight solutions that bring people home everywhere, every time,’” Fell said.

“Through our recent flight test progress, we are truly seeing the transformational capability that DEFIANT X offers and how it will change the game for the U.S. Army,” said Heather McBryan, Boeing director of business development for future vertical lift programs. “It’s amazing what you can see when you put a design into an operationally relevant test environment. We are even more confident in the vision that we had when we chose the X2 design for the FLRAA mission.”

SB>1 DEFIANT is the technology demonstrator proving out transformational capabilities for the DEFIANT X weapon system, the Sikorsky-Boeing team offering for the US Army’s FLRAA competition as part of the Army’s Future Vertical Lift program. DEFIANT X will enable crews to fly low and fast through complex terrain, where Army aviators spend most of their time. It will extend the capabilities of Army Aviation on the modern battlefield – and is designed to fit in the same footprint as a BLACK HAWK.

DEFIANT X incorporates Sikorsky’s X technology to operate at high speeds while maintaining low-speed handling qualities. This critical capability provides pilots with increased maneuverability and survivability in high-threat environments, allowing them to penetrate enemy defenses while reducing exposure to enemy fire. DEFIANT X’s coaxial rotor system and pusher prop allow for a high degree of maneuverability in and around the objective which is also directly linked to survivability.

Photo by: Lockheed Martin

The Royal Canadian Air Force has determined that cracks that appeared in the tail booms of its CH-148 fleet were due to local stresses caused by the equipment installed there

The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) has determined that cracks that appeared in the tail booms of its CH-148 fleet were due to local stresses caused by the equipment installed there, Alert 5 first noted.

In a statement on Jan. 31, 2022, Canada’s Department of National Defence said its technicians and Cyclone manufacturer, Sikorsky Aircraft, made an “initial determination” that equipment on the tail sections of the aircraft was too heavy to be supported in flight, thereby causing the cracking, CBC News reported.

It directed questions about the cracks to Sikorsky.

As we have previously reported, cracks were found in 21 of the 23 Cyclones with the first crack being found during routine maintenance of a CH-148 Cyclone helicopter on Nov. 26, 2021.

The fleet was grounded while plans were made on how to proceed with repairs.

Sikorsky spokesperson John Dorrian told CBC News the cracks “are the result of local stresses caused by the electronic support measures and [satellite/communications] antenna mounts, which were not previously anticipated.”

According to Dorrian, the S-92 has not experienced the same cracking issues because it does not have the same electronic support measures and antenna mounts as the Cyclone.

Repairs on the Cyclones have been ongoing at 12 Wing Shearwater near Dartmouth, NS, with each aircraft’s cracking requiring a “unique solution,” said the Defense Department.

As of Jan. 28, 11 of the Cyclones had been repaired, with an additional four undergoing repairs.

The department also said in its statement that the repairs are not permanent fixes.

The military is working with Sikorsky to establish a “final determination” of the cause of the cracks by the end of February before creating a permanent solution to the issue, Dorrian said.

“The long-term solution will take into account these load paths, mitigate the local stress at these interfaces, and eliminate the cause of the cracking,” Dorrian said in an email.

Sikorsky and Canada’s Department of National Defence, lead a team that has designed, built, and configured the CH-148 Cyclone for anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW), maritime search and rescue (SAR), overland operations and utility missions.

Based on the Sikorsky S-92, as Canada’s first true intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) helicopter, the fly-by-wire Cyclone is equipped with a fully integrated mission system, modern sensors, and a multi-mission cabin — providing a quantum leap in maritime helicopter capability.

Entry into service with the Royal Canadian Air Force occurred in mid-2018 aboard one of the Royal Canadian Navy’s Halifax-class frigates.

The full operational capability of the fleet is scheduled for 2022.

In 2020 six members of the Canadian military were killed when a Cyclone crashed in the waters off Greece because of a glitch with the autopilot function.

The Defense Department said in its statement the Air Force has a “robust flight safety culture,” and it is not uncommon for issues to be found early in the life cycle of new aircraft, such as the Cyclones.

“There is no immediate safety hazard, and we have complete confidence in the immediate solution being implemented,” the department said.

“The fleet continues to be operational and will be monitored and tested on a regular basis in accordance with our airworthiness program.”

Photo by Dennis Jarvis from Halifax, Canada via Wikipedia

These flights validate Defiant’s relevancy to the Army’s mission, providing agility at the objective (also known as the “X”), and increased survivability, all while reducing pilot workload

Lockheed Martin Sikorsky-Boeing SB>1 Defiant completed Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) mission profile test flights, including confined area landings and low-level flight operations. These flights validate Defiant’s relevancy to the Army’s mission, providing agility at the objective (also known as the “X”), and increased survivability, all while reducing pilot workload.

“We fully demonstrated Defiant’s ability to execute the FLRAA mission profile by flying 236 knots in level flight, then reducing thrust on the propulsor to rapidly decelerate as we approached the confined, and unimproved, landing zone,” said Bill Fell, Defiant chief flight test pilot at Sikorsky and a retired US Army Master aviator, in a Lockheed Martin Sikorsky news release. “This type of level body deceleration allowed us to maintain situational awareness and view the landing zone throughout the approach and landing without the typical nose-up helicopter deceleration. This confined area was extremely tight, requiring us to delay descent until nearly over the landing spot, followed by a near-vertical drop. We landed Defiant precisely on the objective with little effort as we descended into this narrow hole while maintaining clearance on all sides.”

SB>1 Defiant is the technology demonstrator proving out transformational capabilities for the Defiant X weapon system, the Sikorsky-Boeing team offering for the US Army’s FLRAA competition as part of the Army’s Future Vertical Lift program. Defiant X will enable crews to fly low and fast through complex terrain, where Army aviators spend most of their time. It will extend the capabilities of Army Aviation on the modern battlefield – and is designed to fit in the same footprint as a Black Hawk. With Defiant X, the US Army will deliver troops and cargo in future combat at twice the range of the current fleet.

“It’s what we call building combat power rapidly, and aircraft like the Defiant X can do that,” said Tony Crutchfield, retired US Army Lieutenant General and now vice president of Army Systems at Boeing. “In the Pacific, it’s even more important because your lines of operation are going to be dispersed over a wide area; you’re going to have these small bases and supply lines that’ll be positioned either on ships or on islands. You’re going to want to move more assets, maneuver in confined terrain and survive to build that combat power faster than your adversary can – so you can win.”

Defiant X incorporates Sikorsky X2 Technology to operate at high speeds while maintaining low-speed handling qualities. This critical capability provides pilots with increased maneuverability and survivability in high-threat environments, allowing them to penetrate enemy defenses while reducing exposure to enemy fire. Defiant X’s X2 coaxial rotor system and pusher prop allow for a high degree of maneuverability in and around the objective which is also directly linked to survivability.

Air assault is the movement of ground-based military forces by vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft—such as the helicopter—to seize and hold key terrain that has not been fully secured, and to directly engage enemy forces behind enemy lines. In addition to regular infantry training, air assault units usually receive training in rappelling, fast-rope techniques, and air transportation, and their equipment is sometimes designed or field-modified to allow better transportation within aircraft.

The US Army field manual FM 1-02 (FM 101-5-1) describes an “air assault operation” as an operation in which assault forces (combat, combat support, and combat service support), using the firepower, mobility, and total integration of helicopter assets, maneuver on the battlefield under the control of the ground or air maneuver commander to engage and destroy enemy forces or to seize and hold key terrain, usually behind enemy lines.

Due to the transport load restrictions of helicopters, air assault forces are usually light infantry, though some armored fighting vehicles, like the Russian BMD-1, are designed to fit most heavy-lift helicopters, which enables assaulting forces to combine air mobility with a certain degree of ground mechanization. Invariably, the assaulting troops are highly dependent on aerial fire support provided by the armed helicopters or fixed-wing aircraft escorting them.

The following video features Defiant’s latest flight testing.

Photo by Lockheed Martin Sikorsky-Boeing

‘Those Japanese choppers hovered all day, just for fun. The kind of fun you only get in the military,’ said Michael Alapaki, a former US Navy enlisted aircrew

For a helicopter, hovering means that it is in flight at a constant altitude, with no forward, aft, or sideways movement. In order to hover, a helicopter must produce enough lift in its main rotor blades to equal the weight of the aircraft.

The engine of the helicopter must produce enough power to drive the main rotor, and also to drive whatever type of anti-torque system is being used.

The ability of a helicopter to hover is affected by many things, including whether or not it is on the ground effect, the density altitude of the air, the available power from the engine, and how heavily loaded it is.

How long can a helicopter hover in place?

‘When the Navy stationed me at the US Naval Air Facility called Atsugi Kaigun Kichi in 1979, the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force [Japanese Navy] shared the base with us,’ Michael Alapaki, former US Navy enlisted aircrew who served aboard 5 carriers, recalls on Quora.

‘Every day, the Japanese helicopter rescue squadron put a ship in the middle of the airfield, it lifted up about 20–30 feet, and sat there, hovering from breakfast to lunch, and then again for the whole afternoon.

‘Didn’t matter what the wind was doing. That chopper hovered in place, all day long. For practice, I guess.’

Alapaki continues;

‘While I was stationed in Japan, I decided to train for a private pilot certificate, and I flew little Cessna’s.

‘One of the final tests was to fly solo, by myself, on a long cross-country flight over 200 miles, and land at several airfields.

‘An hour into the flight, concerned about my fuel state, I lined up to land at a Japanese helicopter base called UTSONOMIYA.

‘When I looked straight ahead to the runway, this was what I saw.

‘Musta been half the JN army [Japan Ground Self-Defense Force AKA Japanese Army] choppers hovering over the field I needed to land on. CRAP! Pucker factor 9.

‘So I made sure they knew I was coming, eyeballed a thread-the-needle route between the choppers to the runway, and held my breath.

‘I landed, got a signature proving I was there, and took off for the rest of my cross country, soon to be over water, to land on a tiny dot just at the inside edge of my fuel reserve.’

Alapaki concludes;

‘Those Japanese choppers hovered all day, just for fun. The kind of fun you only get in the military.’

Photo by Derek Webster / U.S. Navy, U.S. Army, and Japan Self-Defense Forces

The new VH-92A Marine One presidential helicopter isn’t effective “for the contingency operation mission,” a reference to emergency flights.

President Joe Biden’s first flight on the VH-92A presidential helicopter, the new Marine One, is being delayed after a report by the Pentagon’s testing unit warned it’s not yet “operationally suitable” or sufficiently reliable — especially in an emergency, Bloomberg News, which had the chance to see a Pentagon testing report, reports.

According to a US official who asked not to be identified while discussing the internal deliberations, the Biden administration hasn’t yet determined if the helicopter can be put into operation because it’s still assessing its safety.

The timeline will be determined by the White House Military Office.

According to an internal summary prepared for senior defense officials by the Pentagon testing office and obtained by Bloomberg News, the VH-92A is “failing to meet the reliability, availability, or maintainability threshold requirements” set for it.

According to Bloomberg News, the previous testing report, dated Sep. 28, said the aircraft is “operationally effective” for routine “administrative” missions like a run to Camp David or delivering the president to Joint Base Andrews outside Washington for a planned trip on Air Force One.

But the new Marine One wasn’t effective “for the contingency operation mission,” a reference to emergency flights.

As told by Press Connects, Lockheed Martin and Sikorsky issued a brief statement in response to the report.

“We continue to build VH-92A presidential aircraft and are pleased our customer awarded us a contract for the final five production helicopters earlier this year,” spokesman Jeff Brown said. “Sikorsky continues to work closely with our customer to ensure the aircraft meets all operational requirements.”

The Naval Air Systems Command’s (NAVAIR) program office stamped the 28-page testing report “Controlled Unclassified Information,” a new label being used increasingly by the military services to restrict the public dissemination of program cost and performance data.

“The VH-92 report was marked CUI to protect critical technical information and operational security,” Capt. Clay Doss, a Navy spokesman, said in a statement to Bloomberg. “An unclassified/releasable synopsis will be included in” the Pentagon test office’s annual report, he said. That report is typically published in January.

The VH-92A presidential helicopter made its maiden flight on Jul. 28, 2017, at Sikorsky Aircraft in Stratford, Connecticut.

The VH-92A aircraft is based on Sikorsky’s successful and FAA-certified S-92A commercial aircraft. The S-92A aircraft, assembled in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, is being modified to include the integration of government-defined mission systems and an executive interior.

The VH-92A will transport the president and vice president of the United States and other officials. The helicopter will feature the distinctive call sign “Marine One” which identifies any United States Marine Corps (USMC) aircraft carrying the President of the United States (while a USMC aircraft carrying the Vice President has the call sign Marine Two).

Sikorsky and Lockheed Martin were given the go-ahead to start production on the fleet in June 2019, and a test model of the aircraft landed on the White House lawn that month.

The helicopters were expected to be ready for the winner of the 2020 presidential election, but now the timeline for the rollout is unclear.

However, according to a Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) Lot II contract awarded last year to Sikorsky, the company should begin deliveries of six VH-92A helicopters in 2022. The remaining production aircraft should be delivered in 2022 and 2023.

Photo by Lockheed Martin

Bell celebrated the completion of the first AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter for the Kingdom of Bahrain on Sep. 30, 2021.

Bell celebrated the completion of the first AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter for the Kingdom of Bahrain on Sep. 30, 2021. The company delivered the first of 12 production aircraft to Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) as part of the 2019 foreign military sales (FMS) contract. Foreign military sales of the AH-1Z bring the advanced, dedicated capabilities of the aircraft directly to international operators and help increase interoperability and amplify the effectiveness of allied forces. The helicopter will be prepared for shipment to Bahrain with the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) before being transported to Bahrain in 2022.

“This is an extraordinary achievement by the H-1 Program and brings the Royal Bahraini Air Force a step closer to fielding the advanced capabilities of the AH-1Z,” said Mike Deslatte, Bell H-1 vice president and program director, in a company news release. “The men and women of Team Viper, a group of premier suppliers, have done an exceptional job of delivering to the U.S. Government, on time and contract.”

Bell designed the AH-1Z Viper specifically to meet the stringent operational requirements of the US Marine Corps (USMC), which focus on full marinization and a reduced logistical footprint. The aircraft has a fully integrated glass cockpit and the ability to carry a wide variety of munitions.

The composite rotor system further enhances the Viper’s ability to provide close air support to ground forces in any environment, while the fully integrated Target Sight System (TSS) enhances pilots’ capabilities to identify clearly, acquire, track, and engage targets beyond maximum weapon range.

“The Viper will provide significant benefits to the Bahrain Defense Force as they modernize their fleet of attack helicopters,” said Deslatte. “Having a proven state-of-the-art platform will help contribute to the security of Bahrain while improving interoperability with U.S. forces.”

Bell continues to work to deliver aircraft to the U.S. Marine Corps, Bahrain, and the Czech Republic. After having delivered the last UH-1Y to the USMC, Bell restarted Venom production last July for the Czech Republic, the first international operator of the helicopter. However, the company has continued to produce and deliver the AH-1Z Viper as part of the USMC H-1 production contract for 349 H-1 aircraft, consisting of 160 UH-1Y and 189 AH-1Z.

The Venom and the Viper are based on the Vietnam-era family of Huey helicopters, the UH-1 Iroquois, and the derivative AH-1 Cobra. The modern variants share 85 percent of their parts, including a common tail boom, engines, rotor system, drivetrain, avionics architecture, software, and controls. The commonality between the aircraft enabled critical component supply chains to remain active during AH-1Z production for the USMC.

Photo by Bell

The US Forest Service said goodbye on Oct. 16, 2021, to their Vietnam War-era AH-1 Firewatch Cobra helicopters as an aerial attack platform.

The US Forest Service said goodbye on Oct. 16, 2021, to their Vietnam War-era AH-1 Firewatch Cobra helicopters.

The Forest Service said in a press release:

‘This past Saturday, the last remaining USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest (Region 5) Firewatch Cobra Program Viet Nam War-era helicopter took its final flight as we transition to a new era of aerial supervision utilizing modern helicopters and implement modern technologies like fixed-wing aircraft to service a larger landscape… Additionally, Region 5 has stood up an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Program to reduce risks and hazards to firefighters both in the air and on the ground.

‘The roles previously served by the two Cobra helicopters will be performed by a combination of three modern platforms: new helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, and UAS. There is no reduction in firefighting surveillance or operational capabilities with the transition, local communities and wildland firefighters will be better served by the advancements in modern technology.

‘The two Forest Service-owned AH109 helicopters were repurposed Vietnam War-era, US Army attack helicopters for fire aviation, aerial supervision, and intelligence work. They served the Forest Service for nineteen years and reached their maximum lifespan after flying approximately 7,600 flight hours with the Cobra program.

‘“The Forest Service thanks all the pilots, mechanics, aerial supervisors, and program managers that made the Cobra program a success,” said Robert Baird, Director of Fire and Aviation Management for Region 5. “The next generation of equipment will continue this critical mission of public safety and protection.”’

In 1996, the US Army retired 25 of its Cobra helicopters, which can reach speeds of 160 mph. The US Forest Service eagerly accepted the hand-me-downs and converted the helicopters into Firewatch Cobras refitting them with an arsenal of high-tech gadgets. The Cobras didn’t extinguish fires by themselves. Their main purpose was to relay information to ground crews about the direction and strength of a blaze and to help larger planes make more accurate water or fire-retardant drops.

The Firewatch’s infrared thermal imager could detect the heat of a wildfire even through thick smoke. Its low-light and color cameras could pick up fine-resolution images of the fire, and then its transmission equipment could send those images—in real-time—to firefighting crews up to 30 miles away. Also, the Cobra could direct larger water haulers by providing precise GPS coordinates.

Photo by Akradecki Own work via Wikipedia

After having been surrounded, the Dolphin surfaced to indicate that it was abandoning the mission and moved away from the Algerian coast.

The story of an unusual incident that allegedly took place during the Algerian Radaa 2021 exercise was shared on Sep. 30, 2021, on social media: according to a Tweet by defense journalist Darko Todorovski, an Israeli submarine was chased by the Algerian Navy during the drill, run from Sep. 29 to Sep. 30.

 

Off the coast of Algeria, an Israeli submarine – Dolphin type tried to track a training launch of a cruise missile Club-S from an 🇩🇿 submarine of project 636, but in turn, it was discovered and pursued by 2 submarines of project 636. They forced it to surface and leave the area. pic.twitter.com/IxflWYpkUi

— Darko Todorovski (@DarikMk) September 30, 2021

Radaa 2021 was aimed to demonstrate the capabilities of in-depth attack, or stealth destruction of targets at sea at very long distances. The exercise saw the participation of many Algerian naval units and took place in the presence of the Chief of Staff General Said Chengriha, the commander of the naval forces and the head of the second military region.

According to Menadefense.net, nothing happened during the drill. A very large perimeter had been cleared of commercial traffic to avoid incidents or unwanted attention. ù

Instead, an incident occurred on Sep. 27 during the preparation of the exercise. An Israeli Dolphin class submarine was spotted by passive detection of an Algerian Kilo-class submarine, tracked and forced to surface in international waters and leave the area.

As reported by Menadefense.net, the Israeli sub was aggressively pursued without the use of sonar in order to avoid counter-detection. Two Super Lynx anti-submarine warfare helicopters were launched from BDSL Kalaat Beni Abbas, which was part of the training as a command ship. The two helicopters continued the pursuit, while two Kilo submarines pushed the intruder back to the north.

After having been surrounded, the Dolphin surfaced to indicate that it was abandoning the mission and moved away from the Algerian coast. It surfaced 5 km north of Kalaat Ben Abbès, on the edge of international waters and the Israeli submarine surfaced outside the zone.

We can assume that, if the story is confirmed, the Israeli sub was doing an intelligence mission in order to gather information since it was expected that at least one Algerian submarine would fire one or more Kalibr missiles. In this case, according to Menadefense.net, the Dolphin would have obtained the precious acoustic signature indicating the opening of the missile racks and would have recorded the sound of the firing preparation and firing routine. Valuable information could help predict the actions taken by Algerian crews in the event of a conflict. The mission was also an opportunity to make electronic intelligence and collect data on the transmissions of the Algerian Navy and their encryption.

Based at Haifa, the Israeli Navy (IN) currently operates five modern diesel-electric Dolphin-class submarines. All were designed and constructed by Germany’s Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW).

Israel currently possesses five Dolphin-class diesel-electric submarines. Three of the five are old Dolphin type vessels. The older Dolphin-class are 57.3 meters long with a 6.8-meter-wide beam and can travel up to 20 knots when submerged. They can remain submerged for 30 days without surfacing. Their weapons systems are capable of firing torpedoes.

The modernized Dolphin II-class vessels instead run on a conventional diesel led-acid battery system. They have an AIP system that allows the vessels to travel extremely quietly and to remain submerged for up to a week without surfacing. Reports dictate that these vessels have a maximum speed of 25 knots and a range of 4,500km. The submarines are equipped with four enlarged 650mm torpedo tubes which lead to much speculation that the Israelis intend to outfit the submarines with nuclear-armed cruise missiles.

Photo by Andrew Morley via FlightGlobal and Ein Dahmer via Wikipedia

VMX-1’s CH-53K detachment quickly examined the environmental conditions and conducted a quick feasibility assessment of support and determined that the King Stallion could conduct the lift.

The CH-53K King Stallion successfully recovered a Navy MH-60S Knighthawk helicopter from Mount Hogue in the White Mountains of California on Sunday, Sep. 5, 2021, Alert5 reported. The two-day operation was the first official fleet mission for the Marine Corps’ new heavy lift capability, which is amid Initial Operational Test and Evaluation with Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron One (VMX-1) at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Ca.

“VMX-1 received a request for assistance from the Naval Safety Center about an MH-60S Knighthawk that suffered a hard landing near Mt. Hogue, Ca., at an elevation of 12,000’ Mean Sea Level (MSL) in July,” said LtCol Luke Frank, CH-53K Detachment Officer in Charge for VMX-1, in a Navair news release.

The MH-60S Knighthawk was sitting on a high-altitude ridge in very rugged terrain near the California-Nevada line on Jul. 16 following a hard landing. The helicopter was supporting a search and rescue effort for a lost hiker. All four crewmembers survived without injury and were rescued the following day.

According to Frank, both the MH-60S unit and the Naval Safety Center had exhausted all other resources for recovery, including Army National Guard, Navy, and Marine Corps fleet squadrons. “They all lacked the capability to lift the aircraft without an extensive disassembly,” he said.

VMX-1’s CH-53K detachment quickly examined the environmental conditions and conducted a quick feasibility assessment of support and determined that the CH-53K could conduct the lift.

The CH-53K is the US Marine Corps’ (USMC) heavy lift replacement for the CH-53E. The most powerful helicopter in the Department of Defense, the CH-53K, is a new-build helicopter that expands the fleet’s ability to move more material, more rapidly throughout the area of responsibility using proven and mature technologies. In Navy high/hot environments, the CH-53K is capable of lifting almost triple the baseline CH-53E lift capability. It is also designed to have a smaller shipboard footprint, lower operating costs per aircraft, and fewer direct maintenance man-hours per flight hour. The USMC’s procurement objective is 200 helicopters.

“After two weeks of exhaustive planning and assembling a team of more than 25 Marines and sailors from VMX-1 and 1st Landing Support Battalion from Camp Pendleton, Ca. we deployed two CH-53Ks to Bishop, Ca., and got to work,” he said.

The CH-53K was designed to lift nearly 14 tons (27,000 lbs) at a mission radius of 110 (203 km) nautical miles in high and hot environments; a capability that expands the service’s range in supporting joint and coalition forces against potential adversaries.

The MH-60S weighed approximately 15,200 lbs. and was positioned in a tight ravine at nearly 12,000’ MSL and needed to be transported over 23 nautical miles to Bishop, Ca. airport.

“After six months of flight operations with the CH-53K, the detachment had every confidence in the aircraft’s abilities to conduct the mission safely. Our main concern was the environmental factors ground support personnel would have to endure,” said Frank.

Photo by Cpl. Therese Edwards / U.S. Marine Corps