CH-53K reaches production milestone
Despite some bumps in the road, the Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion has been approved for production by the Pentagon.
First launched in 2003, the Heavy Lift Replacement programme was approved for low-rate initial production (LRIP) on 4 April 2017.
To date the programme has accepted delivery of four test aircraft and one ground test vehicle, and as of January 2017 more than 370 test flight hours have been carried out.
Initial operational capability (IOC) of the aircraft is currently scheduled for December 2019 following operational testing, which is to be completed by September of that year. According to US Marine
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