Sikorsky CH-53 - discussione ufficiale

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E non venitemi a dire che lo F-35 costa troppo .....

If the CH-53K King Stallion were a new car, its sticker price would be $87.1 million, but with title, tax and tags it would run $131 million per helicopter.

The Marine Corps ultimately plans to buy 200 CH-53Ks by 2029 to replace its fleet of aging CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters, which have the most serious readiness problems of all aircraft in the Marine Corps' current fleet.

Earlier this month, Rep. Niki Tsongas, D-Mass., asserted that the price for each CH-53K had ballooned from $87.1 million to $122 million per helicopter, which is made by Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company.

 

Fonte: DefenseNews ... Total cost of CH-53K is $131 million per helicopter: Here's the breakdown ...

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CH-53K ... approvata la produzione ...

The Pentagon today formally approved the Marine Corps’ CH-53K Super Stallion heavy lift helicopter program to move into production.

The aircraft, which replaces the CH-53E, provides about three times the external lift capability, greater ranges and better reliability for the Marine Corps, in support of the service hauling heavier equipment at greater standoff distances from ship to shore.

“On April 4, 2017, the Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics (USD(AT&L)) approved the Navy’s request for the CH-53K King Stallion program to enter into the Production and Deployment phase,” Pentagon spokesman Cmdr. Patrick Evans said in a statement.

“From the review, the Senior Official Performing the Duties of the USD(AT&L) determined that the program is ready for the Production and Deployment phase.”

Fonte: USNI ... Marines’ CH-53K Heavy Lift Helicopter Approved To Enter Production ...

 

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I costi aumentano ... ma si tenta di rimediare ...

The total acquisition cost of the U.S. Marine Corps’ new heavy lift helicopter has increased from $26.1 billion to $27.7 billion — a result of growing labor costs and the move of its production line, the service’s program manager said in an exclusive interview with Defense News.

Col. Hank Vanderborght, program manager for U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy heavy lift helicopters, confirmed that the CH-53K King Stallion program has run a 21 percent cost overrun against its 2006 baseline as of this month’s Milestone C decision.

That puts it 9 percent away from a Nunn-McCurdy breach that would trigger a decision from the Defense Department on whether to re-baseline the program.

But as the program moves into production, Vanderborght is confident that cost-saving initiatives that the Marine Corps plans to put into place going forward can keep the King Stallion on track.

“I am not concerned about [the cost growth] because we’re doing a lot of good things to control it,” he told Defense News.

“And I think that the things that we’re doing to control it are working.”

Fonte: DefenseNews ... Cost of US Marine Corps CH-53K helicopter program grows to $27.7B ...

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Sikorsky è ottimista sulla possibilità di esportare almeno 200 esemplari del CH-53K ...

 

... https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/sikorsky-bullish-on-export-prospects-for-ch-53k-heli-437611/ ...

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Sikorsky corteggia le aziende aerospaziali tedesche ...

 

FlightGlobal ... Sikorsky courts German aerospace on CH-53K supply chain ...

 

LM/Sikorsky ... German Aerospace Companies Visit Sikorsky’s West Palm Beach Facility ...

 

Nel frattempo ... CH-53K King Stallion Flight Testing Begins Transition to Patuxent River Naval Air Station ...

[Flaggy]

304 milioni per i primi due di produzione, mentre si punta a 87 milioni al pezzo per i 200 elicotteri programmati.

 

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/us-marine-corps-awards-ch-53k-production-contract-440853/

[maxiss]

Prezzo esorbitante mi sembra,siamo a livello osprey..

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Prezzo esorbitante mi sembra, siamo a livello osprey ..

 

Può anche darsi ... però sarà capace, velocità a parte, di trasportare qualcosina di più di un Osprey ...

 

Quanto al prezzo ... dovremmo essere nell'ordine di quello che si prospetta, come definitivo, per gli F-35A ...

[Flaggy]

Aggiungerei che i velivoli in un certo senso si pagano ancora a peso e questo a vuoto pesa 2 tonnellate in più del V-22 (e anche dell'F-35), è trimotore, è comunque molto complesso e ha numeri ancora piuttosto bassi (ragion per cui si spera quanto meno nei tedeschi).

Un numero elevato di pezzi da produrre non è significativo solo per diluire le spese non ricorrenti, ma anche per abbassare quelle ricorrenti e quelle di gestione (legate ai costi della ricambistica) con produzioni basate su lotti più grandi, consentiti eventualmente da contratti pluriennali: non è un caso se i primi due costano più di 150 milioni al pezzo e i successivi si punta a farli costare in media 87.

Considerati i precedenti ci sta, anche se non son certo bruscolini per un mezzo da trasporto.

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CH-53K ... l' anno prossimo in visita a Berlino ...

Sikorsky has confirmed that the CH-53K King Stallion will make its air show debut at next year's ILA Berlin event, as the airframer pursues a lucrative export contract with Germany.

The manufacturer had previously expressed an ambition to take the new heavy-lift helicopter to the biennial exhibition, but has now been given the go-ahead by the US Marine Corps, Sikorsky's domestic customer for the CH-53K.

Fonte: flightglobal.com ... CH-53K helicopter to make international debut at ILA Berlin show ...

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CH-53K & Germania ... Sikorsky trova un socio ...

Rheinmetall has partnered with Sikorsky to jointly offer the CH-53K King Stallion for a German air force requirement for around 60 new heavy lift helicopters against a rival bid from the Boeing CH-47 Chinook.

The partnership combines Sikorsky parent Lockheed Martin’s resources with the German defence technology giant’s local presence.

Fonte: flightglobal.com ... Sikorsky partners with Rheinmetall for German CH-53K bid ...

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Esercizi di sollevamento pesi .....

CH-53K King Stallion successfully lifted (and set down) a Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) during a demonstration, Jan. 18.

Using the single point hook, the helicopter hovered up to 100 feet for approximately 10 minutes while carrying the 18,870-pound vehicle.

Fonte: navair.navy.mil ... CH-53K demonstrates vehicle lift ...

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CH-53K ... imminente la consegna del primo esemplare ...

The US Marine Corps is scheduled to take delivery of its first production version of the CH-53K King Stallion from Sikorsky early next week.

The heavy-lift helicopter is to be received at MCAS New River, North Carolina (*).

At the base, the USMC said it plans to put the aircraft through its Supportability Test Plan by conducting a logistics assessment on the maintenance, sustainment and overall support of the King Stallion.

Fonte: flightglobal.com ... Marine Corps poised to take delivery of first operational CH-53K ...

(*) ... marines.mil ... FIRST CH-53K KING STALLION BEING DELIVERED TO U.S. MARINES ...

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CH-53K ... il primo esemplare è stato dunque consegnato ...

Sikorsky delivered its first of an expected 200 CH-53K heavy-lift helicopters to the US Marine Corps on 16 May, with the King Stallion due to achieve initial operational capability next year.

To be stationed at MCAS New River, North Carolina, the lead example of the three-engined rotorcraft will be used during a supportability test activity.

"US Marines will conduct a logistics assessment on the maintenance, sustainment and overall logistics support of the King Stallion," according to Sikorsky (*).

Fonte: flightglobal.com ... US Marine Corps takes delivery of first CH-53K ...

(*) ... SIKORSKY BEGINS CH-53 KING STALLION HEAVY LIFT HELICOPTER DELIVERIES TO THE U.S. MARINE CORPS ...

Inoltre ... https://twitter.com/USMC/status/996804074241699840

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Germania ... voce del verbo 'pospòrre' ... fino a nuovo avviso ... 

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/germany-postpones-heavy-lift-helicopter-contest-452287/

Sta somigliando sempre più all'Italia ... e ce ne vuole ... 

 

 

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CH-53K ... i tests effettuati dai Marines hanno evidenziato alcuni problemi che non presentano particolari difficoltà di soluzione ...

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The Marines’ top aviator said the new CH-53K heavy lift helicopter has had some struggles during its past year of testing but would emerge from it a capable and reliable asset for the Marines.
Lt. Gen. Steven Rudder told the House Armed Services tactical air and land forces subcommittee on Thursday that last year the service moved the Lockheed Martin-built CH-53K King Stallion from Sikorsky’s West Palm Beach test facility to Naval Air Station Patuxent River for a strenuous test plan.
“We put it through its paces. We brought it out to Colorado and did high-altitude testing; we banged it around in the dirt out there, and we found some things. And we found some things because good Marine test pilots and the naval enterprise found things that needed to be fixed. So the delays that you see right now are to make sure we get it right,” he said.

La fonte ... usni.org ... https://news.usni.org/2019/04/05/42456 ...

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CH-53K ... la firma del contratto avverrà nel giro di qualche settimana ...

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The Department of the Navy expects to sign a contract with Lockheed Martin for the CH-53K heavy lift helicopter “in the next coming weeks,” after a pause and a program restructuring effort that sought to rebalance risk and reward between the government and contractor.
Navy acquisition chief James Geurts told the Senate Armed Services seapower subcommittee today that, when he was sworn into his job in December 2017, “the way we set the strategy wasn’t working for us.” 
The Marine Corps heavy lift helicopter replacement program wasn’t achieving test points as fast as it should have despite the ongoing test flights, and there was no way to address deficiencies found in the helicopters and ensure that the fixes were incorporated into the production line for the first helos to come off the line.
Geurts said the Department of the Navy made a decision to pause testing and pause production contract negotiations.

Fonte: news.usni.org ... Marine Corps, Lockheed Martin to Sign CH-53K Helo Production Contract in ‘Weeks’ ...

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Dalla pagina 'Contracts' del Dipartimento della Difesa USA del 17 Maggio 2019 ...

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Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin Co., Stratford, Connecticut, is awarded a $1,126,216,626 modification (P00026) to previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-firm, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N00019-16-C-0048).  
This modification provides for the procurement of 12 Lot II and Lot III low-rate initial production CH-53K aircraft, including programmatic support, logistics support, and peculiar support equipment. 
Work will be performed in Stratford, Connecticut (44.96 percent); Wichita, Kansas (12.26 percent); Salt Lake City, Utah (5.67 percent); Hazelwood, Missouri (3.89 percent); Bridgeport, West Virginia (2.37 percent); Windsor Locks, Connecticut (1.52 percent); Redmond, Washington (1.52 percent); Rochester, Kent, United Kingdom (1.41 percent); Quebec, Canada (1.39 percent); Kent, Washington (1.30 percent); Cudahy, Wisconsin (1.25 percent); Wolverhampton, United Kingdom (1.23 percent); Fort Walton Beach, Florida (1.11 percent); Rome, New York (1.10 percent); various locations within the continental U.S. (16.7 percent), and various locations outside the continental U.S. (2.32 percent).  
Work is expected to be completed in December 2023.  
Fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $509,053,739; and 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $617,162,887, with a total of $1,126,216,626 will be obligated at the time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the fiscal year.  
The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

Un commento ... 
...  news.usni.org ... Navy Awards Sikorsky $1.13B for Next 12 CH-53K Heavy-Lift Helicopters ...

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Germania ... Boeing e Sikorsky parteciperanno alla competizione che verrà indetta per sostituire i vecchi CH-53G/GA/GS  ...

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Germany’s effort to replace its ageing heavy transport helicopter fleet is gathering pace, with both Boeing and Sikorsky formally confirming their interest in the requirement.
Berlin in February issued a “call for competition” for the Schwerer Transporthubscrauber (STH) programme, requiring responses by late May.
--- --- ---
A request for proposals under the SHT programme is likely to follow by end-June, leading to a contract signature in 2021. 
First deliveries are due around 36 months later.

... flightglobal.com ... Boeing and Sikorsky confirm bids for German CH-53G replacement ...

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Da Parigi ... Sikorsky lancia un messaggio ... forte e chiaro ...

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Sikorsky arrives at Paris with a simple message: if you want a 21st century heavy-lift helicopter, then the only solution is the CH-53K King Stallion.
Although France is not considering the platform, Germany remains a key battleground to securing an export order for the CH-53K.
Berlin is seeking a successor to its fleet of aged CH-53Gs – essentially a D-model aircraft – with Sikorsky facing competition from Boeing and its CH-47F Chinook.

... flightglobal.com ... PARIS: CH-53K only solution for Germany, says Sikorsky ...

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Da Parigi ... cresce, a livello internazionale, l'interesse per il CH-53K ...

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Sikorsky has been cleared to host demonstration flights of its CH-35K heavylift helicopter for additional nations, as the company eyes sales prospects beyond its long-held interest in re-equipping the air forces of Germany and Israel.
A recent approval by the secretary of the US Navy will lead to "international pilots flying the aircraft coming up this summer and fall", says Sikorsky president Dan Schultz.
"We have received enquiries from a variety of foreign militaries," says CH-53K international capture manager Beth Parcella. 
While she declines to name any of these nations, she notes: "There are certainly other potential customers for this aircraft in the future."

... flightglobal.com ... PARIS: Additional nations poised to try CH-53K, Sikorsky says ...

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Problemi di re-ingestione dei gas di scarico ?
NAVAIR li ha risolti ... 

... flightglobal ... https://www.flightglobal.com/helicopters/navair-engineers-help-solve-sikorsky-ch-53k-exhaust-re-ingestion-problem/135849.article ...

... navair.navy.mil ... https://www.navair.navy.mil/news/Joint-Team-Solves-Engine-Integration-Issues-CH-53K-King-Stallion/Tue-12172019-0903 ...

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Germania ... Sikorsky e Boeing hanno presentato le loro offerte finali ...

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Sikorsky and Boeing submitted final bids for Germany’s New Heavy Lift Helicopter programme, known as Schwerer Transporthubschrauber, on 13 January.
Sikorsky put forward its new CH-53K King Stallion heavy-lift helicopter. 
Boeing bid its CH-47F Chinook heavy-lift helicopter.

... flightglobal.com ... Sikorsky CH-53K and Boeing CH-47F bids submitted for Germany’s heavy-lift competition ...

Anche qui ... defensenews.com ... Lockheed, Boeing enter Germany’s heavy transport helicopter race ...

 

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CH-53K ... ormai prossima la soluzione dei problemi ...

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Marine Corps leaders are looking forward to ramping up CH-53K heavy-lift helicopter production after military and industry leaders agree the program’s technical challenges are behind them.
During last year’s budget season hearings on the Hill, the focus of conversation around the 53K was a list of 126 deficiencies that had been identified, including the most talked-about issue of exhaust gas reingestion (EGR), where the helo’s three engines were sucking in hot and dirty air instead of fresh air.
This week, during the annual House Armed Services Committee hearing to discuss aviation programs and budget requests, Deputy Commandant of the Marine Corps for Aviation Lt. Gen. Steven Rudder was focused on how quickly the Marine Corps and Sikorsky team could ramp up production to bring costs down. 
He noted that the Marines only asked for seven aircraft in the Fiscal Year 2021 request because when the budget was being written the EGR issue hadn’t been solved yet; as of December, a solution was proved and agreed to, and Rudder says he’s ready to buy more aircraft in the out years – 11 a year is the current rate on paper, but he said the Marines want to go even higher.

... news.usni.org ... Marines Tout CH-53K Helo As Success Story After ‘Technical Deficiencies’ Forced Program Reset ...

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CH-53E ... verso la soluzione di un problema di non poco conto ...

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The US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) is expediting the development of a system that improves low-speed performance of the Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter in poor visibility conditions.
US Marine Corps (USMC) operations in the Middle East have showed that in “brownout” conditions caused by sand billowing up from landing zones, helicopters have a tendency to “drift” when attempting to land and take off, NAVAIR says (*).
The developmental low speed precision control (LSPC) system augments flight controls that reduce crew workload during brownouts.

... flightglobal.com ... NAVAIR fast tracks technology to help CH-53E in ‘brownouts’ ...

(*) ... navair.navy.mil ... Low Speed Precision Control gets a fast contracting success story ...