SAS Less - /CH53K
SASLess:
Although the CH-53 may be available by 2012 (0r 2015, if it follows the pattern of Sikorsky's reported progress on the H-92), it could have some difficulty landing on the decks of small frigates.
With respect to the Presidential aircraft, I note that although the contract was let some time after Sikorsky's Canadian contract, the first US101 test aircraft flew a year ago, and they now have several hundred flight test hours on that and another one. Sikorsky has yet to fly prototype 1 of the Canadian version.
At least the reported H-92 rate of progress is consistent with the extended development period of the original S-92. That period, though, is hardly a knock on Sikorsky. It is perfectly understandable that an entirely company funded development may have been constrained by available funds.
It seems that almost all airframers have gotten in the habit of making solemn promises of rapid development and delivery and then suffering scorn and ignominy when the development time turns out to be just as the old wise heads would have said. (Airbus A380, Boeing 787, JSF being only the most recent examples)
Companies today are run by the marketeers. The pilots and engineers left after the cuts of the late '90s don't have the ear of management, perhaps partly because of lesser experience, perhaps partly because no one wants a realist (dour pessimist in a marketeers lexicon) to dampen the rosy predictions.
The other main problem is that customers are more naive, and it is easy to believe brochure claims for nonexistent aircraft. Such vehicles haven't yet demonstrated their flaws, while off the shelf aircraft have documented problems and limitations.
It seems we are seeing some of the corollaries of Norm Augustine's laws being demonstrated.