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King Stallion Summer: CH-53K to enter operational test in July
By Dan Parsons | April 23, 2021
Estimated reading time 13 minutes, 50 seconds.
A fleet of four CH-53K King Stallions this summer will begin the final leg of testing for the U.S. Marine Corps’ new heavy-lift helicopter ahead of its entry to service in 2023, but work remains to ensure that milestone doesn’t slip to the following year.
The Marine Corps is in the final throes of wringing out its several engineering and manufacturing developmental 53K models ahead of initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E) with aircraft representative of what Marines will fly. Marines now have their hands on three production aircraft and are training to fly and maintain them at Marine Corps Air Station New River in North Carolina.
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Heavy Haulers
An extended visit with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron (HMH) 462 highlights the lifting capacity of the “Screw Crew” CH-53E Super Stallions. By Skip Robinson | April 22, 2021
Estimated reading time 14 minutes, 19 seconds.
A U.S. Marine Corps heavy helicopter squadron flying the Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion can be considered a living organism. It is constantly evolving as personnel leave and new people come aboard, with each commanding officer typically holding command for one-and-a-half to two years. Although each commander may bring a different leadership style to the role, the squadron persists in being ready to accomplish its mission, and providing an environment in which Marines can grow personally while developing their professional skill set.
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October 2001: A U.S.-led coalition launches an invasion of Afghanistan on Oct. 7 after the Taliban refuse to hand over Osama bin Laden, who is blamed for the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The San Diego-based warship John Paul Jones fires the first missile strikes on Taliban and al Qaeda forces. Small numbers of U.S. special forces and CIA agents soon slip into Afghanistan to help direct the bombing campaign and organize the Afghan opposition. Camp Pendleton’s 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit deploys to Pakistan in support of what is called Operation Enduring Freedom.
Nov. 13, 2001: Taliban fighters abandon Kabul, the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. About 1,300 U.S. troops are on the ground.
It s always a challenge to keep a floating city equipped, but it just got earlier.
Here s What You Need to Remember: Capable of embarking both the F-35C fighter jet and the CMV-22B Osprey,
Vinson became the first aircraft carrier equipped to support fifth-generation aircraft. This month’s vertical replenishment exercise follows more than six months of successfully integrated operations between the carrier and air wing in support of the unique maintenance and tactical operations functions of the advanced aircraft.
One of the problems with operating an aircraft carrier in distant waters is that while the warship may be huge, it can only carry so many replacement parts for its air wing. On these floating cities, space is actually at a premium, and it isn’t cost-effective to carry more than what is needed for a deployment.