MV-22 Osprey Or CH-53K As Marine’s Next “Heavy” Lifter?

MV-22 Osprey Or CH-53K As Marine’s Next “Heavy” Lifter?
By Craig Hooper
Defense Tech Naval Warfare Analyst

In a little-noticed deployment shift, deputy commandant for aviation, Lt. General Trautman told Inside the Navy that the 40-year old CH-53D choppers are retiring before their previously reported FY18 and FY19 sundown dates. Fine. But then Trautman used his July 28 interview to quietly change policy, claiming that MV-22s–not Sikorsky’s new heavy-lift CH-53Ks–were going to replace the CH-53D helos!

What’s with that? What does it mean for the Post-Afghanistan Marine Corps?

Ospreys were originally slated to replace CH-53D “medium lift” helicopters, but at some point in 2007–8, the Marine Corps formally decided replace their aging CH-53Ds with CH-53Ks.

Look at the numbers–The FY 2010 Marine Corps Aviation plan (warning: big .pdf)– suggested the three remaining 10-ship squadrons of CH-53Ds would meld into two “plus-uped” 16-ship CH-53D squadrons in FY11. Those two squadrons would then be among the first to upgrade to the CH-53K in FY18 and 19 (the third squadron, now stripped of aircraft, would go into cadre status and transfer to MV-22s in FY16). So while the Osprey got an extra squadron, the CH-53Ks replaced the Deltas on a one for one basis.

The shift has been pretty sudden. As late as April 13, 2010, Trautman was telling the Senate this:



unhappycamper comment: So what the hell is the military doing resurrecting 40-year old heavy lift choppers?

It turns out the $100 million dollar MV-22 Osprey may not be up to the task:

V-22 Sticker Shock

V-22 Costs Soar

Why Tiltroters Fail

$100 million apiece almost sounds like a bargain when you consider we already dug a hole to China and filled it with money for this dream.

I can only imagine what $27 billion in R&D could have done if applied to something like alternative energy or robotics.