Contributor - UK

David Donald

On May 17 Sikorsky flew its <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/defense/2018-02-21/sikorskys-new-rescue-hawk-enters-final-assembly">HH-60W combat rescue helicopter</a> for the first time. During the initial flight from&nbsp;Lockheed Martin's West Palm Beach, Florida facility, the HH-60W’s hover control and low-speed characteristics were checked in a 1.2-hour sortie.
“This achievement is yet another vital step towards a low-rate initial production decision and getting this much-needed aircraft and its advanced capabilities to the warfighter," said Dana Fiatarone, vice president, Sikorsky Army &amp; Air Force Systems. "We are very pleased with the results of today's flight and look forward to a productive and informative flight-test program."
The first flight keeps the HH-60W program on track, with a Milestone C decision planned for September, after which the program moves out of the engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) phase and into production and delivery. A second HH-60W is due to fly in a matter of days, with two more scheduled to fly within weeks. The four EMD aircraft will conduct a test campaign to prove the aircraft is ready for low-rate initial production. Beyond the EMD machines, Sikorsky has also been contracted for five System Demonstration Test Articles (SDTAs).
The U.S. Air Force selected the HH-60W, based on the U.S. Army’s UH-60M, to replace its aging HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue fleet, with a stated requirement for 113 aircraft. Although it looks superficially the same as its predecessor, the HH-60W introduces numerous improvements in terms of performance, reliability, and capability. It has a new fuel system with a capacity roughly double that of the UH-60M to permit rescue missions over long ranges. New defensive systems make it more survivable and its systems feature cyber-resilience, while its communications reflect a move to netcentric operations.

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<div style="margin-bottom:5px;"><img alt="CH-53K" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="73722e99-39de-421e-8378-87f698b28c09" src="/sites/default/files/sikorsky_ch_53k_helicopter.jpg" width="1215" height="850" loading="lazy"></div>
<figcaption style="font-size:1.5rem;line-height:1.2;font-style:italic;">The CH-53K will be an integral part of the U.S. Marine Corps inventory, allowing vehicles and large equipment to be transported over long distances. (Photo: U.S. Navy)</figcaption>
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On the same day Sikorsky also received a $1.13 billion contract from the U.S. Navy to build 12 CH-53K King Stallion heavy-lift helicopters, part of a 200-aircraft program of record for the U.S. Marine Corps. The dozen machines for Lots 2 and 3 of the low-rate initial production batch&nbsp;are due for delivery from 2022.
Although the “King” has been <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/defense/2015-10-27/marines-ch-53k-king-stallion-takes-air-first-flight">flying since 2015</a>, the program has exhibited “design deficiencies,”&nbsp;according to a Department of Defense report. The intended date for initial operating capability&nbsp;has been pushed back from December 2019 as the issues are worked through, and it is not expected that initial operational test and evaluation&nbsp;will begin until 2021, with deployment expected in 2023/2024.

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