Jack,
If you're interested in a detailed update,
Jane's published a comprehensive report titled
"Long live the king: USMC prepares for delivery of the most powerful helicopter ever built by the United States" last June, though alas it's no longer online.
For what it's worth,
Jane's gives the CH-53K's OEW as being 43,750 lb (vs. 33,226 lb for the CH-53E). The consultancy states an internal MGW of 74,000 lb for the Kilo (vs. 69,750 lb for the Echo), and an external MGW of 88,000 lb for the K (vs. 73,500 lb for the E). This last figure is the most significant spec change yet announced for the Kilo during its development, representing a 4% increase from the 84,700 lb Ext. MGW originally targeted.
What else is new?
- Lockheed Martin received a contract for the first two LRIP aircraft last August, five months after the DAB approved Milestone C
- GE Aviation subsequently received an LRIP contract for the first 22 T408-GE-400 (ex-GE38) turboshafts in November. Earlier last year, the Navy's H-53 PO noted a couple of engine issues, namely excessive #2 engine bay heating and post-landing flameouts, but neither was considered serious.
- Jane's reports that the first four CH-53K EMD aircraft have logged over 500 hours of flight testing, with the first four system development test aircraft (SDTA) aircraft in final assembly at WPB
- According to the PEO-Air briefing given at AHS 74 last year, the Kilo's IOT&E has slipped to December 2019, a four-month delay over the date given in the 2016 SAR. This latest slippage appears to be validated by a report that "NAVAIR may compress remaining CH-53K test points following positive progress," and by a suggestion from CAPE that IOC may slip to May 2020.
- Reuters reports that the Kilo will make its global debut at the Berlin Air Show in April, though a report last May that the German Air Force "would like to fulfil its heavy transport helicopter requirement as soon as possible, and with the highest number of helicopters that can be secured with the available funds" suggests that the CH-47F -- which has a sticker price four times lower than that of the CH-53K -- may be the Luftwaffe's preferred replacement for its existing CH-53Ds
- Lockheed is still pitching the Kilo hard as a replacement for Israel's CH-53s, and was doubtless encouraged by the reported freezing of Israel's evaluation of the V-22 Osprey
Note, all of the above relates to the
CH-53K. Right now there is no
MH-53K program, the existing MH-53E's AMCM role having been passed to the MH-60S (using a suite of five sub-systems, in lieu of the Sea Dragon's sled), though Lockheed does continue to
pitch the idea of an MH-53K.
Originally Posted by Sir Korsky
well they were $115 million each at the last count. See if that's changed !!
The GAO's most recent
Assessment of Selected Weapon Programs states that the $115M unit price is now $131M (as of August 2016), with
Bloomberg reporting last May that the latest CAPE cost assessment had hit $138M/aircraft.
I/C