Why not buy the CH-53K?
IIRC, the Germans had CH-53D's (and an E variant? I'd need to look) or approximations thereof in the CH-53G. Still flying, last I heard ...
CH-53, though it has its peculiar traits, is a proven heavy lift rotary wing platform. I appreciate that some heavy lift folk prefer the non-tail rotor idea, Chinook and such, in a cargo aircraft.
Do you expect the winner in this design process to have a tail rotor, or not have one?
