United States Marine Corps CH-53K Ordered

The United States Navy awarded Sikorsky a Lot 7 and Lot 8 production contract covering twenty-seven CH-53K King Stallions for the Marine Corps, split between twelve aircraft in Lot 7 and fifteen in Lot 8. They form the American portion of a thirty-five-helicopter award worth about $2.7 billion that also included eight machines for Israel, with deliveries scheduled to begin in 2026. The CH-53K replaces the CH-53E Super Stallion as the Marine Corps' heavy-lift helicopter, roughly tripling the external load the type can carry to a useful radius and easing shipboard maintenance.