Its an impressive upgrade to the H-53E which I flew for 4 years, and will serve the USMC well.
However, I have observation to the quote from the PM where he called it a "clean sheet" design when it was supposed to be an ECP upgrade to avoid a formal acquisition:
“This is a new aircraft,” proclaimed Col. Robert Pridgen, the Marines’ heavy-lift helicopter program manager. “We started with a clean sheet.”
So when was the last time the Navy (including USMC) actually competed a helicopter program?
H-60R (No)
H-60S (No)
CH-53K (No)
MV-22 (No)
AH-1Z (No)
UH-1Y (No)
VXX v.2 (No)
All these aircraft, with the exception of the H-60R/S, are NEW aircraft and the Navy didn't get any competitive benefit from any of the programs either in cost or capability. It highlights a pattern of behavior from the Navy, where its easier an more efficient to go around the acquisition process, work with the current supplier, and call it an "ECP" when it is actually a NEW aircraft.