Sun, Sep 25, 2022
US Marine Corps Debuts Beastly CH-53K External Hauler Helicopter
Earlier last month in Idaho, home of the spud, the United States Marine Corps (USMC) Heavy Helicopter Squadron 461 conducted tests by exercising a CH-53K King Stallion helicopter, straight from the stables of Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky subsidiary.
The test site, Mountain Home Air Force Base (KMUO) is home to the 336 Gunfighters Fighter Wing and was the perfect place to conduct the nearly 3-week exercise of 3 of these heavy haulers in varied terrain and over great distances. The CH-53K King Stallion helicopter can haul an externally attached load of up to 27,000 over 110nm, and is considered an ‘upgrade’ over its older sibling, the CH-53E.
The King Stallion was initially ordered in 2008, with the first unit delivered to the USMC ten years later, and it was expected that the USMC would have a ready fleet by 2019, however, it was fraught with a litany of mechanical and system issues, such as recirculation of dirty exhaust gases, engine overheating.
By late 2021, the USMC Air Wing had a real-life test case for the CH-53K when a US Navy MH-60S Knighthawk helicopter was recovered from Mt. Hogue in California following a hard landing during a Search and Rescue (SAR) mission.
The USMC’s “Ironhorse” squadron that trains with the CH-53K sees almost endless possibilities in its mission capability and having recently concluded a deployment to KMUO for training and experience operating these haulers, they seem confident in their ability to execute on future missions. They see “the ability to carry heavy loads across long stretches of sea” as an “asset against a Chinese threat towards the islands of the pacific”.
More News
“This recognition was evident during the TBMOPA Annual Convention, where owners and operators clearly expressed their satisfaction with our focus on customer service, and enc>[...]
Overhead Maneuver A series of predetermined maneuvers prescribed for aircraft (often in formation) for entry into the visual flight rules (VFR) traffic pattern and to proceed to a >[...]
Aero Linx: Glenn H. Curtiss Museum The Glenn H. Curtiss Museum, bearing the name of Hammondsport’s favorite son, is located on State Route 54, one half mile south of the vill>[...]
The Flight Instructor Noticed Some Engine Roughness And Diverted Toward Westwinds Airport On November 2, 2025, about 1630 mountain standard time, an experimental amateur-built Just>[...]
From 2014 (YouTube Edition) -- Disclaimer: No Matter What He Tells You, Tom Is Not A Certified Firefighting Pilot While at EAA AirVenture 2014, ANN News Editor, Tom Patton checked >[...]
Aero-News: Quote of the Day (11.20.25)
See All