Not only is the King Stallion the United States Marine Corps’ largest helicopter, but it is also the largest, most powerful helicopter under the auspices of the Department of Defense.
The U.S. Marine Corps has declared Initial Operational Capability for the CH-53K heavy lift helicopter, validating the platform’s operational readiness.
The US Marine Corps (USMC) declared an initial operational capability (IOC) for Lockheed Martin's Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion heavy lift helicopter on 25 April. The Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (HX) 21 and Marine Operational Test and E.