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Scramble 469
falling behind schedule and could miss its target for initial
combat capability by as much as eight months. The helicop-
ter design’s stability has improved, but persistent problems
with the main gearbox have required the program to delay
the planned completion of system-level demonstration tests
by four months, now scheduled to be completed in May 2019.
The US MoD tracked over a 1,000 current or projected “mis-
sion-impacting technical issues” that present “a high risk” to
the CH-53K meeting its December 2019 goal. NAVAIR plans to
buy 200 of King Stallions, currently four helicopters are in a
test programme, one can be seen at the ILA Berlin 2018. The
Pentagon in April 2017 approved the programme entering
low-rate initial production (LRIP), authorizing production of
26 of this largest helicopter build in the western world. The
current projected acquisition cost, including development, is
USD 139.5 million per aircraft, that is as more money an F-35
unit costs!
Notwithstanding the aforementioned, Sikorsky, a Lockheed
Martin company, delivered the first CH-53K King Stallion to
the USMC on 16 May 2018. The King is the first of an expected
200 helicopters for the USMC. This first one (BuNo 169021,
SDTA-3) will be based at MCAS New River (NC) but is first
delivered to Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squad-
ron (VMX) 1 Flying Lions (‘MV-xx’) where the helicopter
will enter into the Supportability Test Plan. The USMC will
conduct a logistics assessment on the maintenance, sustain-
ment, and overall aviation logistics support of the King Stal-
lion. Currently, eighteen CH-53Ks are in various stages of
production. Sikorsky expects to deliver its second CH-53K
helicopter to the USMC early 2019. Initial Operational Capa-
bility (IOC) is expected through 2019. Sikorsky is prepar-
ing its manufacturing facility in Stratford, Connecticut to
house CH-53K production beginning this summer. Currently,
we have the following BuNo’s in our database: YCH-53K’s
168778/01, 168779/02, 168780/03 and 168781/04 operated
by Sikorsky/ HX-21 Blackjack operating from NAS Patuxent
River (MD), CH-53Ks 169019, 169020 and 169022 plus two on
order with Sikorsky and 169021 as aforementioned, delivered
to VMX-1.
By late-2018, the final UH-1Y Venom will be delivered to the
US Marine Corps by Bell Helicopter. Under the USMC H-1 pro-
gramme, one hundred UH-1N Huey utility helicopters were
planned to be remanufactured to UH-1Y. In April 2005, when
several UH-1Ns were already remanufactured, it was decided
that the remaining helicopters will be new-build rather than
remanufactured, this starting from the third Low-Rate Initial
Production (LRIP) batch in 2008 through the then estimated
final deliveries in 2016. With these changes, 160 (including
37 remanufactured ones) Venoms will be delivered to the
USMC by late-2018. The first flight of the UH-1Y took place in
December 2001 and first flight of the fully configured aircraft
was in October 2003. An LRIP order for six UH-1Y was placed
in December 2003 and a second batch of four LRIP aircraft
was ordered in April 2005. The first delivery to the USMC
took place in October 2005. The developmental testing with
this first airframe was completed in February 2006 and a six-
month operational evaluation began in May 2006. The third
LRIP contract for seven UH-1Ys was placed in July 2006. The
first production UH-1Y was delivered in January 2007. Initial
operating capability was achieved in September 2008 and the
UH-1Y deployed for the first time in January 2009 aboard the
USS Boxer (LHD-2). The current UH-1Y and AH-1W/Z order
of battle looks as follows (* = USMC Reserves):
MCAS New River (NC)
HMLA-167 Warriors W/Y TV-xx
HMLA-269 Gunrunners W/Y HF-xx
Both New River squadrons will trade in their AH-1Ws for
AH-1Zs. The Warriors start transition in the first quarter of
FY19 and will be operational on the AH-1Z by late Q4/19,
while the Gunrunners start transition by Q4/19 and will be
operational on the AH-1Z by late Q3/20.
MCAS Camp Pendleton (CA)
HMLA-169 Vipers Z/Y SN-xx
HMLA-267 Stingers Z/Y UV-xx
HMLA-369 Gunfighters Z/Y SM-xx
HMLA-469 Vengeance W/Z/Y SE-xx
HMLA-775* Coyotes W/Y WR-xx
HMLA/T-303 Atlas Z/W/Y QT-xx
The Coyotes start transition by Q3/20 and will be opera-
tional on the AH-1Z by late Q1/21.
Kaneohe Bay MCAF, MCB Hawaii (HI)
HMLA-367 Scarface Z /Y VT-xx
JB McGuire-Dix/Lakehurst (NJ)
HMLA-773* Red Dogs/Cobras W/Y MP-xx
HMLA-773/Det.B* Red Dogs/Cobras W/Y WG-xx
NAS JRB New Orleans (LA)
HMLA-773/Det.A* Cobras W/Y MM-xx
The Red Dogs at McGuire and their Detachment at New
Orleans start transition to AH-1Z in the Q2/21 and will be
operational on the AH-1Z by late Q4/21.
MCAS Yuma (AZ)
VMX-1 Mihi Cura Futuri W/Z MV-4x
VMX-1 Mihi Cura Futuri Y MV-3x
United States Marine Corps unit news
Marine Force Atlantic (MARFORLANT)
Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron (VMAQ) 3
Moon Dogs (‘MD-xx’) was deactivated on 11 May 2018. The
ceremony was held at home base MCAS Cherry Point (NC).
The official deactivation date is reported as being 31 May
2018. Present at the ceremony were EA-6B ICAP IIIs 161242/
MD-02, 163524/MD-04 and 163527/04.1 VMAQ-2 Death Jesters
(‘CY’) is now the very last EA-6B squadron and is currently
deployed to Al Udeid (Qatar). VMAQ-2 is slated for deactiva-
tion on 1 October 2018.
Marine Force Pacific (MARFORPAC)
On 27 and 28 April 2018, two flights of Marine Fighter Attack
Squadron (VMFA) 314 Black Knights (‘VW-xx’), operating the
F/A-18A++ and F/A-18C made a fuel stop at Lajes, Azores (Por-
tugal) on their way back to homebase MCAS Miramar (CA).
The Hornets, accompanied by two tankers, came back from
a deployment at Sheik Isa Air Base (Bahrain) and flew in in
two flights. Our Scramble message board received the identi-
ties of the Hornets (* are F/A-18Cs) from the Lajes spotters
community.
162442/01, 163094/02, 162466/05*, 162467/08 , 162431/09,
164240/12*.
The second flight of Black Knights consisted of five Hornets.
Strikingly, 163166/VW-06 was not reported in the return
flight (see below comment with VMFA-115).
164253/14, 162877/00, 162849/03, 162451/04, 163131/07
When VMFA-314 deployed in January 2018, they also passed
Lajes. The squadron deployed as part of the Aviation Combat
Element (ACE) for Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task
Force-Crisis Response-Central Command (SPMAGTF-CR-CC).
VMFA-314 will begin transition to F-35C in Q4/2019. Most
probably, VMFA-115 Silver Eagles (‘VE-2xx’) from MCAS
Beaufort (SC), that crossed east via Lajes on 17 April 2018 to
relieve the Black Knights at Sheik Isa took over 163166 as they
deployed with only eleven Hornets.
163174/201, 162893/202, 163161/203, 162400/205,
163141/206 and a second flight 16****/200, 162429/208,
162884/211, 163155/210, 163761/204, 163162/207
United States Coast Guard (CG)
The US Coast Guard delivered its latest HC-130J Super Hercu-
