US Marines welcome two new CH‑53K King Stallion helicopters

February 2, 2026, by Fatima Bahtić

Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, has delivered two more CH-53K King Stallion heavy lift helicopters to the US Marine Corps.

Sikorsky delivered the first of 200 CH-53K King Stallion Helicopters to the USMC from West Palm Beach, Florida, on May 16. Photo: US Marine Corps

The CH-53K, the most advanced heavy-lift helicopter in the US Marine Corps fleet, boasts a maximum useful payload of 36,000 pounds. This capability allows Marines to transport critical supplies and equipment “farther and faster than any other helicopter”.

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The CH-53K is the new build replacement for the US Marine Corps’ aging CH-53E Super Stallion fleet.

In 2023, the US Navy awarded Sikorsky a $2.7 billion contract to build and deliver 35 additional CH-53K helicopters, with deliveries scheduled for 2026. The navy declared full-rate production for the CH-53K program in December 2022.

The CH‑53K is a multi-mission helicopter with heavy-lift capabilities that exceed all other US Department of Defense rotary wing aircraft and is the only heavy-lift helicopter that will remain in production through 2032 and beyond.

The helicopter is designed to conduct expeditionary assault transport of armored vehicles, equipment, and personnel to support distributed operations deep inland from a sea-based center of operations, critical in the Indo-Pacific region.

In September 2025, the US Navy awarded $10.9 billion contract to deliver up to 99 CH-53K King Stallion heavy-lift helicopters to the US Marine Corps.