The agreement aims to stabilize production and rationalize the costs of the heavy platform

Lockheed Martin, through its subsidiary Sikorsky, has secured a mega-contract with a maximum value of $10.855 billion from the United States Navy for the production of up to 99 heavy CH-53K King Stallion helicopters destined for the Marine Corps. The agreement, which represents the largest order in terms of quantity for this aircraft, will cover production from 2029 to 2034.

The contract combines orders for five consecutive lots (Lot 9 through Lot 13) into a single multiyear procurement. This approach was promoted with the primary objective of streamlining acquisition costs for the government and ensuring supply chain stability. As program leadership indicated, the multiyear award will allow Sikorsky to consolidate orders to its 267 suppliers in 37 States, with the expectation of securing a more favorable unit price and ensuring a steady delivery cadence to the Marine fleet.

Colonel Kate Fleeger, head of the H-53 Heavy Helicopter Program, highlighted that production predictability is crucial for the operational transition from the older CH-53E to the CH-53K. For his part, Rich Benton of Sikorsky described the agreement as a reflection of confidence in the company's ability to deliver the helicopter, emphasizing that production is essential to support thousands of jobs at the US industrial facility.

The CH-53K is the heavy-lift platform intended to progressively replace the current Marine fleet. The program foresees a total of 200 aircraft and, at the time of the announcement, 20 units had already been delivered, with a further 63 in production. The new multiyear contract also gives the US government the flexibility to allocate some of the 99 helicopters to potential international military customers.