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Last Super Stallion Delivered
The last Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion was delivered to U.S. Marine Heavy Lift Helicopter Squadron at Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina on November 24. Sikorsky has delivered 172 CH-63Es to the Marines since December 1980. The Naval Air Systems Command calculates Navy and Marine Corps CH-53E's and MH-53E's have accumulated more than 722,000 flight hours.
The Marine Corps continues to study a CH-53E Service Life Extension Program (Ch-53E SLEP -- alternatively, the CH-53X or CH-53 Modernization) to address fleet service life, performance, reliability, operating and support costs, and systems commonality issues. Predictive models have indicated a SLEP could cut the operating and support costs of the CH-53E about 25%. A new center fuselage, transition section, and tailboom with structural enhancements could hike CH-53E gross weight from 73,500 lb to 78,500 lb and provide armor protection around engines, flight controls, and other critical areas. New engines driving the existing transmission could bring high-and-hot performance in line with Marine Corps requirements. An integrated digital cockpit compatible with network-centric warfare schemes is also likely.
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