You might have heard anything of the CH-53E Super Stallion and CH-53K King
Stallion. Both are designed by Lockheed Martin Company and Sikorsky Aircraft as
the US Marine Corps’ heavy lift helicopters and are used to transport heavy weapons, equipment,
supplies, as well as personnel for combat assaults. Which one, however, is superior?
The CH-53E Super Stallion is capable of swiftly delivering personnel and
equipment from ship to shore, allowing amphibious assaults to be launched,
logistics and maintenance to be facilitated, sustainment and supplies to be provided,
and the warfighter to be equipped for mission accomplishment. For more than 30 years, the Marine
Corps’ Super Stallion has been a workhorse across the world, executing a wide spectrum
of military combat missions in Beirut, Somalia, the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya.
138 CH-53E aircraft are currently in service. The CH-53E is now out
of production and through a rolling phase of rebuilding, upgrading, and boosting safety,
reliability, and capabilities known as a RESET for the Super Stallion. This RESET is to ensure
that the CH-53E retains mission capability until it was then replaced by the CH-53K King Stallion.
The CH-53K King Stallion, on the other hand, is essentially a heavy lift replacement version
for the CH-53E Super Stallion. It is newly built and is the Department of Defense’s most powerful
helicopter that will improve the fleet’s capacity to carry more stuff very quickly throughout the
responsibility zone by utilizing proven and modern technology. Four aircraft of the King Stallion are
now undergoing Initial Operational Test and Evaluation at the Marine Corps Air Station
New River, NC’s Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron, VMX-1, with over 2500 flying test hours.
Currently, 33 program aircraft have been delivered or are under contract.
To compare, the Super Stallion was known to dominate the American skies as the largest
and most powerful helicopter of the nation. It can hoist large military equipment while being
compact enough to fit onto an amphibious combat ship, from which it can take off
with 16 tons of cargo and transport it 50 miles away before returning to base.
While the CH-53K King Stallion is designed to hoist only
27,000 pounds or equivalent to 13.5 tons, smaller than that of its predecessor. However,
with such cargo load, the CH-53K can travel at a mission radius of 110 nautical miles in Navy
high or hot settings, nearly three times the lift capabilities of the CH-53E Super Stallion.
Besides, it is capable of rising from 103 degrees Fahrenheit at sea level to 91.5 degrees Fahrenheit
at 3,000 feet above mean sea level. It also has a smaller shipboard footprint, cheaper
operational expenses per aircraft, and fewer direct maintenance man hours per flying hour.
Primarily assigned as the combat assault transport of heavy weapons, equipment,
supplies, and troops, the Super Stallion has a weight with external load of 73,500 pounds,
and height as well as length of 28 feet 5 inches and 99 feet 0.5 inches, respectively. It is
crewed by four people: a pilot, a co-pilot, a crew chief, and a mechanic or a gunner.
This powerful helicopter is also equipped with a Global Positioning System, Forward-Looking
Infrared Radar, Aviator Night Vision Imaging Systems Heads Up Display, and three 50-caliber
cannons as a mission kit. Ultra-High Frequency or Very High Frequency or High Frequency radios,
secure communications capacity, and Identification Friend or Foe are all part of communications.
The King Stallion, in contrast, has a length of 99 feet 0.5 inches, height of 28 feet 4 inches,
and weight of 88,000 pounds with external load. Two pilots and 1-3 aircrewman make up the crew.
The cabin portion of King Stallion is 12 inches wider than its predecessor, allowing it to
internally carry two 10,000-pound AMC 463L pallets or five AMC 463L half-pallets, or a Humvee.
Further to this, since it is designed to be under Navy high or hot circumstances, it can transport
two “up-armored” Humvees or one Light Armored Vehicle version. In terms of features, moreover,
the King Stallion has CAAS “glass” cockpit for next-generation joint interoperability.
It is also fitted with fly-by-wire flying controls for increased survivability, safety,
and maintenance. This is enhanced with fourth generation high-efficiency composite rotor blades
with sweeping anhedral tips. Its elastomeric rotor heads requiring less maintenance also improves
aircraft dependability and maintainability while lowering noise and vibration.
Another differentiation between the CH-53E Super Stallion and the CH-53K King Stallion is their
engines. The Super Stallion is powered by three T64-GE-416 turboshafts, producing propulsion
of 4,380 shaft horsepower each. This makes the helicopter able to fly at a speed of 172
miles per hour or 150 knots and reach a ceiling of 10,000-feet without supplemental oxygen. Acquiring
more power than the Super Stallion, the King Stallion instead uses three T408-GE-400 turboshaft
engines rated at 7,332 shaft horsepower for its propulsion. These boost the airspeed of the
helicopter for 195.6 miles per hour or equivalent to 170 knots and reach 18,500-foot ceiling.
To conclude, both the CH-53E and CH-53K carry Marines, heavy equipment, and supplies from ship
to shore in support of amphibious assaults and following onshore operations, but the CH-53K is
now the Marine Corps’ successor for the CH-53E heavy lift helicopter with more power and wider
cargo hold. The Marine Corps intends to purchase around 200 operational King Stallion helicopters
as well as a few test items. According to the service’s most recent budget records,
the Pentagon has spent $1.2 billion on the King Stallion in previous years and has requested
another $256 million in the fiscal year 2022 budget proposal. In accordance with Marine
Corps timelines and requirements, the CH-53K is still on pace for first fleet deployment,
and the delivery to the Marine Corps for operational squadron deployment is
scheduled for FY2024. Furthermore, Sikorsky wants to build at least another 100 CH-53K
King Stallions for overseas markets, including for Israel and Germany.
So, between the CH-53E Super Stallion and CH-53K King Stallion, which one do you like better?
You’re your comment below and let us know what you
think. Thanks for watching and see you on the next episode.