A CH-53K King Stallion lifts a Joint Light Tactical Vehicle during an exercise. (US Marine Corps)

Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky company is preparing to increase production of its CH-53K King Stallion heavy-lift helicopter following the recent achievement of several milestones, according to programme officials.

Sikorsky, which has delivered nine CH-53Ks to the US Marine Corps (USMC), including four in 2022, is poised to boost the production rate “over the next couple of years” to two a month, or “roughly 24 a year”, said Bill Falk, Sikorsky’s CH-53K programme director. Seven CH-53Ks are being built at Sikorsky’s factory in Stratford, Connecticut, in the US, with the lead one slated for delivery in April 2023, Falk told reporters on 3 April at the Navy League Sea-Air-Space 2023 conference.

The CH-53K completed its initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E) phase and achieved its initial operational capability in April 2022. It received US Navy approval in December 2022 to transition from low-rate production to full-rate production.