Helis, March 09, 2021 - The United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report (PDF) on the Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion helicopter for the Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces, Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives.
GAO analyzed cost, schedule, performance, test, manufacturing, and planning documents; and interviewed officials from the CH-53K program office, other defense offices—such as the Defense Contract Management Agency—the testing community, and the prime contractor, Sikorsky
The US Marine Corps selected the CH-53K in 2006 to replace the aging CH-53E Super Stallion fleet as their new heavy lifting helicopter. The aircraft was first delivered in 2018 and is currently undergoing operational testing at MCAS New River, NC.
The report states that after 15 years of development, there still is a moderate risk that the CH-53K could not demonstrate the required levels of reliability or payload carrying weight by the end of the intial operational testing and evaluation (IOT&E)
It is noted that the full-rate production decision was delayed by nearly 7 years ( from December 2015 to November 2022 ) and the total program costs also increased by nearly $15.3 billion since the program began due to technical issues and a quantity increase fielded helicopters from 156 to 200.
As of October 2020, the first four low-rate initial production (LRIP) lots for 20 helicopters have been ordered with a total value of about $3.8 billion. Two additional LRIPs awards are in schedule for 18 additional helicopters.
GAO recommends that the Navy (as the USMC procurement agency) take steps to ensure the CH-53K schedule is credible and well-constructed, and that the Navy should not exceed the current annual procurement of six (6) helicopters per year until the completion of the IOT&E. To not resolve technical challenges that might affect the performance of the helicopter before producing more of them will make costs to rise to pay for retrofitting such aircraft.
The Department of Defense did not concur with these recommendations. Current plans calls for 7 helicopters to be delivered in FY21, 11 in FY22, 12 in FY23, 18 in FY24 and 23 in FY25.
GAO analyzed cost, schedule, performance, test, manufacturing, and planning documents; and interviewed officials from the CH-53K program office, other defense offices—such as the Defense Contract Management Agency—the testing community, and the prime contractor, Sikorsky
The US Marine Corps selected the CH-53K in 2006 to replace the aging CH-53E Super Stallion fleet as their new heavy lifting helicopter. The aircraft was first delivered in 2018 and is currently undergoing operational testing at MCAS New River, NC.
The report states that after 15 years of development, there still is a moderate risk that the CH-53K could not demonstrate the required levels of reliability or payload carrying weight by the end of the intial operational testing and evaluation (IOT&E)
It is noted that the full-rate production decision was delayed by nearly 7 years ( from December 2015 to November 2022 ) and the total program costs also increased by nearly $15.3 billion since the program began due to technical issues and a quantity increase fielded helicopters from 156 to 200.
As of October 2020, the first four low-rate initial production (LRIP) lots for 20 helicopters have been ordered with a total value of about $3.8 billion. Two additional LRIPs awards are in schedule for 18 additional helicopters.
GAO recommends that the Navy (as the USMC procurement agency) take steps to ensure the CH-53K schedule is credible and well-constructed, and that the Navy should not exceed the current annual procurement of six (6) helicopters per year until the completion of the IOT&E. To not resolve technical challenges that might affect the performance of the helicopter before producing more of them will make costs to rise to pay for retrofitting such aircraft.
The Department of Defense did not concur with these recommendations. Current plans calls for 7 helicopters to be delivered in FY21, 11 in FY22, 12 in FY23, 18 in FY24 and 23 in FY25.
Comparison of current and projected CH-53K reliability and maintainability metrics as of November 2020
See also |
CH-53K King Stallion in
US Marine Corps GAO Congress 
