Sikorsky Wins $10.9B Navy Contract for CH-53K King Stallion Helicopters for Marine Corps

Richard Benton/LinkedIn

Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, has secured a $10.86 billion contract from the U.S. Navy to produce up to 99 CH-53K King Stallion heavy-lift helicopters for the Marine Corps over the next five years. 

The contract marks the largest quantity order ever received for the aircraft, the company said Friday. Deliveries are scheduled between 2029 and 2034.

Military Aircraft Procurement

The procurement agreement combines five separate orders to ensure predictable pricing and supply chain stability across 267 suppliers in 37 states and 17 suppliers in eight countries. The contract also sustains thousands of jobs within Sikorsky’s U.S. industrial base.

“The multi-year contract enables Sikorsky to partner with the Department of the Navy to drive long-term affordability, optimize production efficiencies and stabilize our supply chain and workforce, ensuring the Marines maintain the strategic advantage with the CH-53K in a rapidly evolving battlespace,” commented Richard Benton, vice president and general manager at Sikorsky.

“The contract allows Sikorsky to bundle purchase orders from suppliers to achieve better pricing and pass the savings on to the government, giving us the ability to provide dependable delivery to the fleet and a consistent and predictable timeline for the transition from the CH-53E to the CH-53K,” according to Col. Kate Fleeger, head of the H-53 Heavy Lift Helicopter Program Office. 

The Marine Corps began transitioning from its aging CH-53E King Stallion to the CH-53K Super Stallion in 2019, reported The Aviationist. The service expects to fully transition to the CH-53K in the early 2030s. 

Advancing Marine Corps Heavy-Lift Capabilities

The CH-53K King Stallion is designed to transport troops, equipment and supplies across contested environments while providing unmatched power, performance and survivability. The Marine Corps has already received 20 aircraft, with 63 in production.