CH-53E
Super Stallion
The Sikorsky CH-53E is the marines’
heavy-lift helicopter and is capable
of lifting up to 16 tons of cargo
or 55 troops. The Super Stallion
entered service in 1981, and the
corps received 177 Super Stallions
when the last delivery occurred in- CH-53Es are currently own
by eight active-duty operational
squadrons, an FRS and a single
reserve squadron. Each operational
squadron has 12 Super Stallions
assigned, while the reserve unit has
six helicopters. The FRS operates
17 CH-53Es.
The service previously received
eight additional CH-53Es that had
been stored at Davis-Monthan
AFB, Arizona. Initially operated by
the US Navy, the aircraft entered
service with the marines as
attrition replacements between
August 2005 and July 2008. In
December 2017 the inventory
included 144 CH-53Es, which
leaves the service 52 aircraft short
of its requirement. As a result the
primary mission aircraft inventory
(PMAI) has been reduced from 16
to 12 aircraft. Full strength will be
restored beginning in FY 2022 as
deliveries of the CH-53K increase,
allowing the ‘E’ models from the
transitioning squadrons to be
reassigned to other units.
The last Super Stallions will be
retired in 2030. Before then, the
eet is undergoing a reset program
under the CH-53E readiness
recovery e ort. An ongoing service
life extension program (SLEP) will
be completed by FY 2020 along
with engine upgrades.
Plans to replace the CH-53E
began under the Heavy Lift
Replacement (HLR) program in- In March 2004 the USMC
announced plans to purchase 156
new CH-53X heavy-lift helicopters.
The rst of four YCH-53K system
development and demonstration
(SDD) aircraft was unveiled at
Sikorsky Aircraft’s West Palm
Beach, Florida test facility on
May 5, 2014.
The King Stallion carried out its
maiden ight on October 27, 2015.
Six system demonstration test
article (SDTA) aircraft were ordered
and the rst was delivered in
late-2017. On April 4, 2017 the
programme was granted Milestone
C approval for the start of low-rate
initial production (LRIP), and
Sikorsky received a $304-million
contract for two Lot 1 LRIP CH-53Ks
on August 30. Eight CH-53Ks were
included in the FY 2019 budget
request. A full-rate production
(FRP) decision is expected in 2021
and 174 aircraft will be procured
from FY 2021 to 2028. The program
of record includes 200 production
CH-53Ks. The King Stallion will
reach IOC in December 2019 when
four aircraft and combat-ready
crews are declared ‘ready for
deployment’ with an east
coast MEU.
Eight active HMH squadrons will
each operate 16 CH-53Ks while
two reserve squadrons will receive
eight examples. The FRS will
operate a eet of 21 CH-53Ks.
Three helicopters will support
operational testing with VMX-1 at
MCAS Yuma. The rst CH-53K was
delivered to VMX-1 at MCAS New
River on May 16, 2018.
Those squadrons assigned to
MAG-29 at MCAS New River, North
Carolina, will be the rst to
transition to the King Stallion. The
conversion of HMH-366 will begin
at the end of the 2019 calendar
year and be completed in FY 2023.
King Stallions will also be
delivered to the FRS in FY 2019,
and HMH-461 and HMH-464 will
respectively begin their transitions
in FY 2023 and 2025. Subsequent
units will convert at 18-month
intervals. Conversion of MAG-24
will be completed in FY 2027 with
MAG-16 following in FY2029. The
Marine Corps Reserve will
reactivate HMH-769(-) in FY 2023
and both reserve units will operate
eight CH-53Es until transition to
the CH-53K begins in FY 2029.
VMX-1’s New River detachment
will divest its CH-53Es and relocate
to MCAS Yuma in FY 2021.
Although the EDM models will
be retained by HX-21, when
testing is completed, two of the
YCH-53Ks will later become
maintenance training aids at
New River.Det/DET Detachment
ETD Executive Transport Department
FRD Fleet Replacement Detachment
FRS Fleet Replacement Squadron
HM Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron
HMH Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron
HMHT Marine Heavy Helicopter Training Squadron
HMLA Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron
HMLAT Marine Light Attack Helicopter Training Squadron
HMX Marine Helicopter Squadron
HSC Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron
HSM Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron
HT Helicopter Training Squadron
HX Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (Rotary-Wing)
IAP International Airport
JB Joint Base
JRB Joint Reserve Base
MAG Marine Aircraft Group
MAGTF Marine Air-Ground Task Force
M AT S G Marine Aviation Training Support Group
MAW Marine Aircraft Wing
MCAF Marine Corps Air Facility
MCAGCC Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center
MCAS Marine Corps Air Station
MCB Marine Corps Base
MCI-J Marine Corps Installations — Japan
MCI-L Marine Corps Installations — Atlantic
MCI-P Marine Corps Installations — Paci c
NAF Naval Air Facility
NAS Naval Air Station
NAWCAD Naval Air Warfare Center — Aircraft Division
NAWCWD Naval Air Warfare Center — Weapons Division
NAWS Naval Air Weapons Station
NB Naval Base
NFDS Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron
NRL Naval Research Laboratory
NS Naval Station
NSA Naval Support Activity
NSAWC Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center
NTWL Naval Test Wing Atlantic
PMRF Paci c Missile Range Facility
SFWSL Strike Fighter Weapons School AtlanticSFWSP Strike Fighter Weapons School Paci c
SRU Search and Rescue Unit
TAW Training Air Wing
UAS Unmanned Air System
UDP Unit Deployment Program
USNTPS US Naval Test Pilot School
UX Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (Unmanned)
VAQ Electronic Attack Squadron
VAW Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron
V FA Strike Fighter Squadron
VFC Fighter Composite Squadron
VMA Marine Attack Squadron
VMAQ Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron
VMFA Marine Fighter Attack Squadron
VMFA(AW) Marine (All-Weather) Fighter Attack SquadronABBREVIATIONS CONTINUED
Squadron Location Aircraft Command Tail code
HMHT-302 (FRS)
‘Phoenix’MCAS New River,
North Carolina CH-53E MAG-29 UT
HMH-361 ‘Flying Tigers’MCAS Miramar, California CH-53E MAG-16 YN
HMH-366
‘Hammerheads’MCAS New River,
North Carolina CH-53E MAG-29 HH
HMH-461 ‘Ironhorse’ MCAS New River, North Carolina CH-53E MAG-29 CJ
HMH-462
‘Heavy Haulers’MCAS Miramar,
California CH-53E MAG-16 YF
HMH-463 ‘Pegasus’ MCAS Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii CH-53E MAG-24 YH
HMH-464 ‘Condors’ MCAS New River, North Carolina CH-53E MAG-29 EN
HMH-465 ‘Warhorses’ MCAS Miramar, California CH-53E MAG-16 YJ
HMH-466 ‘Wolfpack’ MCAS Miramar, California CH-53E MAG-16 YK
HMH-772(-) ‘Hustlers’ JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey CH-53E MAG-49 MT
VMX-1 Det (see note 1)MCAS New River, North Carolina CH-53E COTEF MV
1 VMX-1 relocated to MCAS Yuma, in 2015. CH-53Es remain assigned to a detachment at MCAS New
River, North Carolina.A CH-53E Super Stallion lands on the deck of
the USS Kearsarge. USMC/LCpl Samuel J. LydenUS NAVY & MARINE CORPS AIR POWER YEARBOOK 2018
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS AIR POWER^9586-99 Marine Tables C.indd 95 01/06/2018 14:05