U.S. Navy Expands CH-53K Training With Additional Simulators

Additional training chances will be provided to the US Marines so they can fly the Sikorsky CH-53K heavy lift helicopter. The helicopter is the most advanced and potent one in the Department of Defense’s inventory, and it can transport personnel and equipment from ships to shore and to higher altitudes more rapidly and efficiently than any other.

According to the conditions of a recent contract award, Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) will give the U.S. Navy another Containerized Flight Training Device (CFTD), with options for three more. The first training tool was successfully delivered to Marine Corps Air Station New River in Jacksonville, North Carolina, in 2020.

Flight crews will train on the full scope of Marine Corps heavy lift missions, including external lift operations, using the full-mission flight simulator that also replicates the various environmental conditions in which the aircraft is likely to fly. Through this new effort, Lockheed Martin is helping the Marine Corps expand proven and critical CH-53K Flight Training with training capability to more Marines.

The training devices include a full cockpit for the aircraft operated by a pilot and co-pilot, an instructor operating station as well as a brief/debrief room. The newest training devices will include upgrades that improve system performance, increase cost savings, and more closely align to the CH-53K aircraft for increased training realism.

CH-53K Flight Crews Complete Milestones

The CH-53K CFTD provided the capability to train mission scenarios which were then completed during Initial Operational Test & Evaluation (IOT&E). They include:

• Day and night air-to-air refueling
• Air-to-air refueling with 27,000 lb. external load
• Sea trials with over 350 landings
• Operation in Degraded Visual Environments