CH-53E Super Stallion

Designated S-80E internally by the Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, the Marine CH-53E Super Stallion, and the Navy MH-53E Sea Dragon are the largest and heaviest helicopters in the United States military. The base model CH-53E serves both the Navy and Marines in the heavy lift transport role. It is capable of lifting heavy equipment including the 8 wheeled Stryker Light Armored Vehicle, the 198 mm cannon with amunition and crew, and can recover all other Marine corps aircraft except for the KC-130. The less common MH-53E fills the Navy's need for long range mine sweeping missions. It features enlarged side mounted fuel sponsons and is rigged for towing its mine sweeping "sled" from high above the dangerous naval mines. Currently under development is the CH-53X, which will be equipped with three of the more powerful 4750 hp (3540 kW) T64-GE-417 engines.

The three engined S-80E is a much larger, more powerful aircraft than the original Sikorski "S-65" twin engined CH-53A. Variants of the original Sea Stallion include the CH-53D, MH-53 Pave Low, CH-53G, HH-53C, and the MH-53J PAVE LOW III. The CH-53D added more powerful engines and external fuel tanks. The RH-53A was used by the Navy for mine sweeping. The CH-53G was produced in West Germany for the German Army. The Air Force's HH-53B and HH-53C "Super Jolly Green Giant" was first deployed during the Vietnam War for special operations and combat rescue. The Air Force's CH-53J PAVE LOW III was the last of the twin engined CH-53's and is equipped with extensive avionics for all weather operation.

The Super Stallion variation first entered service in 1981 with the creation of Heavy Marine Helicopter Squadron 464 HMH-464 in New River North Carolina. Two more squadrons were created in Tustin, California over the next several years, the HMH-465 and HMH-466. In addition, one west coast training squadron, HMT-301, was given several Super Stallions. Since then, other Marine Heavy lift squadrons have retired their CH-53A's and D's, replacing them with E's. Currently about 100 CH-53E helicopters are in service with the Marines and another 15 MH-53Es are in service with the U.S Navy. Additionally, a number of MH-53 helicopters have been exported to Japan as the S-80-M-1 as part of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).

Some of the roles fulfilled by the Marines' CH-53's and CH-46 Sea Knights will be transferred to the V-22 Osprey, but ongoing problems with the Osprey project have extended the longevity of the older aircraft.

CH-53 helicopters arrived to the Israeli Air Force in August 1968 and were given the Hebrew name: Yas'ur (Petrel). Since then, they are the main cargo helicopters of the IAF, carrying both troops and heavy equipment. During the 1980's the Israeli Aircraft Industries, along with military high-tech firm Elbit, upgraded and improved the IAF Yas'ur fleet. The project - which ended only on 1997 improved the CH-53 avionics, robustness and extanded its life span by at least two decades.

Combat experience

The CH-53 saw vast combat experience, especially with the American armed forces and the Israeli Air Force.

In 1970, during the War of Attrition, an IAF Yas'ur CH-53 landed in Egypt and lifted an advanced Soviet radar and carried it back to Israel, for examination by Israeli scientists and engineers.

The Yas'ur played a major part in 1973 Yom Kippur War, moving artillery batteries around the fronts, evacuating wounded soldiers and rescuing pilots from behind enemy lines. In one event, a Yas'ur was hit by MiG-21 guns but managed to return safely to base.

Since then the Yas'urs was used by the IDF to land Sayeret commandoes for deep covert raids into Lebanon and Syria, and to rescue them (the few times they were detected).

On 1989, Yas'urs were used to fight a hugh blaze on Mount Carmel. They dumped 700 tons of water on the fire's centers, and succeeded in dousing it after carrying out dozens of low flyovers into the smoke and flames.

During Operation Desert Storm, MH-53E Sea Dragons were used for mine clearing operations in the Persian Gulf off Kuwait. Several CH-53Es also assisted in other special operations during the operation.

In 1991, several CH-53Es along with several CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters were sent to Mogadishu, Somalia to evacuate U.S. and foreign nationals from the U.S. embassy during the Somalian Civil War

In the early morning hours of January 26th, 2005 a CH-53E used in the transport of 30 Marines from the 1st Marine Division and 1 sailor for election purposes crashed in Rutbah, Iraq, killing all on board. An investigation is under way to determine the cause of the incident. This incident was the main fatal event in the single bloodiest day for the U.S. military since an explosion ripped through a gun turret on the USS Iowa during a training exercise in the Caribbean in April 1989, killing 47 sailors.

External link

• Fas.org: CH-53/MH-53 (http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/h-53.htm)
• CH-53 Yas'ur (http://www.iaf.org.il/Templates/Aircraft/Aircraft.IN.aspx?lang=EN&lobbyID=69&folderID=82&docfolderID=208&docID=18304&currentPageNumber=2) (Israeli Air Force website)