CH-53 SEA STALLION

The 'CH-53 Sea Stallion' is the most common name for the Sikorsky 'S-65' family of heavy-lift transport helicopters. Originally developed for use by the United States Marine Corps, it is also in service with Germany, Mexico, Iran, Israel, and as the 'MH-53 Pave Low' with the United States Air Force. The USAF also operated the 'HH-53 "Super Jolly Green Giant"' during the late- and post-Viet Nam War era.
The dimensionally-similar 'CH-53E Super Stallion' is a heavier-lifting, improved version designated 'S-80E' by Sikorsky. Its third engine makes it more powerful than the Sea Stallion, which it has replaced in the heavy-lift mission.

Contents

Development

Combat experience

Accidents and incidents

Variants

Operators

Specifications (CH-53D)

References

External links

Related content

Development

The CH-53A was ordered in 1962 to satisfy the Marine Corps' requirement for a heavy-lift helicopter. The first aircraft flew October 12, 1964. It would be replaced by the CH-53D.
CH-53 helicopters joined the Israeli Air Force in August 1968 and were given the Hebrew name 'Yas'ur' (Petrel). They are the main cargo helicopters of the IAF, carrying troops and heavy equipment. During the 1980s, Israel Aircraft Industries, along with military high-tech firm Elbit Systems, upgraded and improved the IAF Yas'ur fleet. The project – which ended only in 1997 – improved the CH-53 avionics, robustness and extended its life span by at least two decades.

In late February 2006, the Marine Corps announced that the V-22 Osprey, a tiltrotor aircraft, will be sent into combat within a year with VMM-263.^[1] The V-22 Osprey will replace the Marine Corps CH-46E and CH-53D. However, it will not replace the Marine Corps' CH-53E or the Air Force's MH-53 Pave Low helicopters. The new CH-53K is planned to update the Navy and Marine Corps' CH-53E by 2015.

Combat experience

The CH-53/HH-53 has much combat experience during its lengthy service, with the U.S. military during the Vietnam War and as a Special Operations helicopter, and the Israeli Air Force.
U.S. Air Force HH-53 Super Jollies were the primary search-and-rescue helicopter in Southeast Asia between 1967 and 1975, inserted the Operation Ivory Coast rescue team into the North Vietnamese prison camp at Son Tay in 1970, and carried the Marines who attempted to rescue the crew of the SS Mayaguez. Marine-flown Navy Sea Stallions were the rotary-wing element of Operation Eagle Claw, the attempted rescue of American hostages in Iran in 1980 that ended in disaster and embarrassment at "Desert One".
In 1970, during the War of Attrition, IAF ''Yas'ur'' CH-53s landed in Egypt and conveyed a captured Soviet advanced radar system back to Israel for examination by Israeli scientists and engineers (see ''Operation Rooster 53''). In the 1973 Yom Kippur War, the Yas'urs moved artillery batteries around the fronts, evacuated wounded soldiers and rescued pilots from behind enemy lines. In one engagement, a Yas'ur was damaged by cannon fire from a MiG-21 but returned safely to base. Since 1973, Yas'urs have also been used by the IDF to land and extract Sayeret commandos on deep raids into Lebanon and Syria.
In 1989, Yas'urs were used to fight a huge blaze on Mount Carmel. They performed dozens of low flyovers into the smoke and flames, dumped 700 tons of water on the fire, and doused it.
The CH-53 is operated by the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Air Force in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is also operated by the U.S. Navy in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom throughout the region, deployed out of a squadron in Bahrain.

Accidents and incidents

Due to its large size and troop capacity, aerial accidents that involve CH-53 helicopters were some of the deadliest helicopter accidents ever.

★ In the "Helicopter Catastrophe",^[2] that happened on of 4 February 1997 in Israel, the death toll was 73 people from two CH-53 helicopters.

★ On 10 May 1977, 54 people were killed in a similar accident, also in Israel.

★ On January 26, 2005, a CH-53 went down in bad weather in western Iraq, killing 31 U.S. servicemembers.

★ On February 17, 2006 two CH-53 Sea Stallions crashed, resulting in eight Marines and two airmen were killed while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom in the Gulf of Aden near Ras Siyyan, northern Djibouti.

Variants

;YCH-53A : Two prototypes with two 2850 shp T64-GE-3 engines.
;CH-53A : Initial production for USMC, 139 built.
;RH-53A : CH-53A re-engined with two 3925 shp T64-GE-413 engines as Airborne mine countermeasures (minesweeper) versions for the United States Navy, 15 conversion.
;TH-53A : Stripped CH-53As used for training by the United States Air Force.
;CH-53D : CH-53A with improved transmission, larger cabin for 55 troops and automatic rotor blade folding for the United States Marine Corps, 126 built.
;RH-53D : United States Navy mine countermeasures version of the CH-53D, fitted with 0.5 guns and provision for air refueling, 30 built for the USN and six for Imperial Iranian Navy Aviation (since 1979, the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy Aviation).
;VH-53D : Two CH-53Ds for USMC VIP transport
;CH-53D Yas'ur 2000 : CH-53D upgraded and improved by the Israel Aircraft Industries to extend life span beyond the year 2000.
;VH-53F : Six unbuilt VIP helicopters for the US Navy/Marine Corps.
;CH-53G : German version of the CH-53D, 2 pre-production and then 110 built by VFW under license for the German Army Aviation.
;CH-53GS : Update of 20 CH-53G with additional missile counter measure, upgraded communication and navigation system and two additional fuel tanks. Later also received T64-100 engines to operate in hot&high conditions as they prevail in Afghanistan.
;CH-53GA : Update of further 40 CH-53G with new flight deck, new flight control system, autopilot, navigation- and communication systems, FLIR, ECM and missile counter measures as well as provisions for additional internal fuel tanks.
For other variants, see HH-53 "Super Jolly Green Giant"/MH-53 Pave Low and CH-53E Super Stallion.

Operators

;

★ Austrian Air Force ordered two in 1968; took delivery in 1970; sold them to Israel in 1981 because of their high operating costs.
;

★ German Army 89 in service, to be reduced to about 80. Future structure 20 CH-53GS, 40 CH-53GA and 20 CH-53G
;
;

★ Israeli Air Force
;

★ Mexican Air Force 4 in service, with an option to order 4 more from Israel
;

★ United States Marine Corps

★ United States Navy

Specifications (CH-53D)

{{aircraft specifications
|plane or copter?=copter
|jet or prop?=prop
|ref={deagel.com}^[3]
|crew=2 Pilots, 1 or more Crew Chiefs
|capacity=37 troops (55 in alternate configuration) or 24 stretchers
|length main= 88 ft 6 in
|length alt= 26.97 m
|span main= 72 ft 2.7 in
|span alt= 22.01 m
|height main= 24 ft 11 in
|height alt= 7.6 m
|area main=
|area alt=
|airfoil=
|empty weight main= 23,628 lb
|empty weight alt= 10,740 kg
|loaded weight main= 33,500 lb
|loaded weight alt= 15,227 kg
|useful load main=
|useful load alt=
|max takeoff weight main=
|max takeoff weight alt=
|more general=

'Width (overall):' 28 ft 4 in (8.64 m)

'Width (fuselage):' 15 ft 6 in (4.7 m)

'Maximum takeoff (Internal Load):' 69,750 lb (31,666 kg)

'Maximum takeoff (External Load):' 73,500 lb (33,369 kg)
|engine (jet)=
|type of jet=
|number of jets=
|thrust main=
|thrust alt=
|thrust original=
|afterburning thrust main=
|afterburning thrust alt=
|engine (prop)=General Electric T64-GE-413 turboshaft engines
|type of prop=Axial
|number of props=2
|power main= 3925 hp
|power alt=
|power original=
|max speed main= 130 knots
|max speed alt= 240.76 km/h
|cruise speed main=
|cruise speed alt=
|never exceed speed main=
|never exceed speed alt=
|stall speed main=
|stall speed alt=
|range main= 540 nm
|range alt= 1000 km
|ceiling main= 16,750 ft
|ceiling alt= 5,106 m
|climb rate main= 2,460 ft/min
|climb rate alt= 750 m/min
|loading main=
|loading alt=
|thrust/weight=
|power/mass main=
|power/mass alt=
|more performance=
|armament=
★ Two Door Mounted XM218 .50 BMG machine guns, Some have RMWS (Ramp Mounted Weapon System) GAU-21 .50 BMG machine gun.

★ German CH-53GS can mount either two MG3 7.62 x 51 mm machine guns in the side doors, which are to be replaced by three M3M/GAU-21 .50 BMG guns in the doors and one on the ramp.
|avionics=
}}

References

1. VMM-263 ready to write next chapter in Osprey program Lance Cpl. Samuel D. White
2. Yas'ur 2000
3.

External links

★ Navy.mil - Standard Aircraft Characteristics: CH-53D

★ CH-53 USMC Fact File

★ H-53 page on GlobalSecurity.org

★ CH-53 Sea Stallion page on GlobalAircraft.org

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