Sikorsky's CH-53K heavy lift helicopter is showing symptoms of having caught the “over budget, behind schedule” disease plaguing other Defense Department programs like the F-35 Lighting II and the Ford-class aircraft carrier.
The US' next-generation heavy lift military helicopter is suffering from more than 1,000 present or forecast “mission-impacting technical issues” that could delay the program up to eight months, Pentagon analysts said in a new program review. The chopper is on pace to become more expensive per unit than the F-35, according to one lawmaker.
The program review, which was seen by Bloomberg, found that the technical issues indicate a there's a “high risk” the CH-53K King Stallion helicopter will not be able to meet significant goals on schedule.
Lockheed Martin and the US government's roadmap for the CH-53K had the chopper set to reach the crucial “initial operational capability” status in December 2019, but it now appears that deadline is at significant risk of being pushed back.
Choppers participating in a round of flight tests in late 2017 operated at 69 percent performance level, “well below” the 75 to 90 percent “benchmark” needed, Bloomberg reported April 25, citing the program review.
The US plans to buy 200 King Stallions when the whole program is said and done.
The total King Stallion program was estimated near $25 billion in fiscal year 2015, but this figure has climbed to $31 billion, per the Bloomberg report. It…
