Sikorsky, an American helicopter manufacturer, and the large German arms concern Rheinmetall are offering the German military a new heavy helicopter CH-53K King Stallion. The companies presented a pool of manufacturers who will participate in the production and maintenance of the new helicopter. It is assumed that this particular machine will become the winner of the program for the supply of a new heavy transport helicopter to the Bundeswehr.
CH-53K King Stallion is second only to the Mi-26
Developed by Sikorsky engineers, the CH-53K King Stallion heavy transport helicopter is by far the heaviest helicopter owned by the United States and NATO members. The helicopter is a further development of the CH-53 Sea Stallion, the first flight of which took place on October 15, 1964. In the future, the machine was repeatedly modernized and is still in service with the United States and other states.
Work directly on the CH-53K King Stallion model began back in 2006. The main customer for the new three-engine heavy transport helicopter was the United States Marine Corps. In total, Sikorsky is ready to supply two hundred such helicopters to the American Marines, and the total amount of the possible deal is estimated at $ 25 billion. Ground tests of the first models of the new version of the helicopter started in 2014, and the first flight tests took place on October 27, 2015. That is, 51 years after the flight of the first sample of the Sikorsky CH-53 helicopter. In 2018, the first helicopter was transferred to the United States Marine Corps. By that time, CH-53K King Stallion helicopters had flown a total of more than 1200 hours during test flights, having achieved all the specified indicators. In April 2018, the Sikorsky CH-53K helicopter also made its maiden flight in Germany.
Currently, the new CH-53K King Stallion heavy transport helicopter is a modern aircraft with excellent payload capacity. This helicopter has no analogues in the West. At the same time, the novelty of the American industry is inferior to the Russian Mi-26T helicopter. The carrying capacity of the American helicopter CH-53K King Stallion, according to the manufacturer, is limited to 36 thousand pounds (approximately 16.3 tons), while the Mi-26T has a maximum carrying capacity of 20 tons. At the same time, the domestic heavy transport helicopter is noticeably larger, its maximum take-off weight is 56 tons versus 39.9 tons for its American counterpart. So the domination of the Mi-26, as the largest and most cargo-lifting helicopter in the world, is still not in danger.
Sikorsky and Boeing are fighting for a German contract
The Bundeswehr program for the acquisition of heavy transport helicopters involves the conclusion of a contract for the purchase of 44 to 60 rotary-wing aircraft in 2021, followed by service support and training of technical personnel and pilots. At the same time, another aviation giant, Boeing, will compete with Sikorsky and Rheinmetall. Boeing is promoting in Germany its equally famous heavy transport helicopter H-47 Chinook, which is used in 20 countries around the world.
Especially for operation in the German Air Force, Sikorsky and Rheinmetall have formed a large team, which includes 10 well-known German industrial companies, among which MTU Aero Engines, Hydro Systems KG, Autoflug GmbH, Rockwell Collins Germany, ZFL and others are distinguished. All of them can become technical partners of Sikorsky and suppliers of equipment and various units for the CH-53K King Stallion helicopters that will be used by the Bundeswehr. The same companies will help the German army in the maintenance, repair and operation of these helicopters. To facilitate these tasks in Germany, it is planned to create a special logistics center and a service center for supporting heavy transport helicopters, which can be located at the Leipzig / Halle airport. This international airport, located in the city of Schkeuditz, serves both German cities.
The decision to create in Germany a whole pool of companies that will supply their own equipment for the German version of the helicopter is also beneficial for the German aerospace industry. According to Mark Schmidt, Managing Director of Rheinmetall Aviation Services GmbH, for the industry this will mean the creation of new jobs for highly qualified specialists, as well as the transfer of modern technologies. At the same time, the project is long-term, since it is planned to operate the new helicopter for decades, and the scope of its application is not limited only to solving military problems. It is planned to pay special attention to the export deliveries of the machine.
Opportunities of the new CH-53K King Stallion helicopter
The new CH-53K King Stallion heavy transport helicopter is a modern vehicle based on a well-proven helicopter with a half-century history of service in the armed forces. At the same time, according to the president of Sikorsky, Dan Schultz, the new helicopter has every opportunity to hold out in the sky for another 50 years, performing a variety of military and civilian missions.
The main purpose of the CH-53K King Stallion heavy transport helicopter is to transport troops and equipment, including from ship to shore; evacuation of the wounded and injured; search and rescue operations, including combat ones; support for special operations forces; participation in humanitarian missions; extinguishing various fires. At the same time, the helicopter can be operated in various climatic zones from the Arctic to the desert, in all weather conditions and with any visibility.
It should be noted that the new helicopter received a "glass" cockpit, completely updated avionics and digital control systems with the possibility of easy software updates in the future. The widespread introduction of modern technologies has made it possible to reduce the helicopter crew to two people. According to the manufacturer's company, the internal payload can also be increased in the future due to relatively simple modifications of the helicopter. Among the features and advantages of the CH-53K King Stallion helicopter, the developers also include an integrated sensor system that allows you to track, predict and prevent various technical problems with equipment in real time at an early stage. In the long term, this should significantly reduce the cost of maintenance of heavy helicopters (both monetary and temporary). This, in turn, should have a positive effect on ensuring high flight readiness of the entire fleet of such machines.
A feature of the CH-53K King Stallion helicopter is the power plant, represented by three General Electric T408 turboshaft engines with a capacity of 7500 hp. each. This power plant provides the helicopter with very high speed characteristics for aircraft of its class. The maximum speed of the helicopter is 315 km / h. This is a lot even in comparison with attack helicopters, the cruising speed is about 290 km / h. For comparison, the maximum speed of the Mi-26T according to the manufacturer's data is 270 km / h. The high speed allows the CH-53K King Stallion helicopter to quickly leave the area that is dangerous for the crew and troops. The maximum possible flight altitude is 18 thousand feet (5486 meters).
The maximum carrying capacity of the helicopter with the placement of loads on the external sling is 16.3 tons. At the same time, King Stallion is able to transport 12,200 kg of various cargoes on an external sling over a distance of 204 km. The result was obtained in conditions of high air temperature - 33 degrees Celsius at an altitude of 914 meters. This is almost twice as good as the result of its predecessor, the CH-53E helicopter. At the same time, the possibilities for the transportation of goods inside the transport cabin have also been expanded. The cab is 30 cm wider, or 15 percent wider than its predecessor. This makes it possible to transport vehicles inside the helicopter, for example, multi-purpose wheeled armored vehicles HMMWV without transforming the cabin. Also, the cabin can carry two pallets 463L (2x4500 kg), or three fuel tanks with a capacity of 3030 liters each, or 32 infantrymen (without installing the central row of seats), or 24 wounded on a stretcher. Cargo compartment dimensions: length - 9.1 meters, width - 2.6 meters, height - 2 meters.
An additional feature of the CH-53K King Stallion helicopters is that they are equipped with an air refueling system. The helicopter is fully compatible with the standard Lockheed Martin KC-130J tanker aircraft, which the Bundeswehr also plans to operate in the future. A separate advantage is the design of the cargo compartment, which will allow the use of the same pallets as on the C130-J and A400M transport aircraft. Due to this, the helicopter can be used for shuttle transportation of goods from the landing site of the said transport aircraft to the destination. This is very convenient considering that the CH-53K helicopter can be used in places where there is simply no way to land a heavy transport aircraft.
