The U.S. Navy has ordered 35 additional CH-53K King Stallion heavy-lift helicopters from Lockheed Martin subsidiary Sikorsky. The contract, which is valued at approximately $2.7 billion, includes 27 aircraft for the U.S. Marine Corps and eight for the Israeli air force. Deliveries of the newly ordered CH-53Ks are expected to begin in 2026.
“This contract award for 35 CH-53K helicopters stabilizes Sikorsky’s nationwide supply base, creates additional production efficiencies, and provides the U.S. Marine Corps with transformative 21st century technologies,” said Sikorsky President Paul Lemmo. “Our long-standing partnership led to this best value contract award providing the capability and readiness the Marines need.”
As previously reported by AVweb, the Navy authorized full-rate production of the CH-53K in December 2022 and is expected to acquire up to 200 King Stallion helicopters. According to Sikorsky, the Marines have logged over 1,000 operational flight hours in the model to date. The company noted that the CH-53K is capable of carrying a 27,000-pound external load over 110 nautical miles in high/hot conditions.
Why support the Israeli’s? Until they abide by International law and cease their Apartheid actions we should not pay a single penny.
They should pay a penny to us. There, I fixed it for you.
Apartheid is such a “sticky” word. It means apart-ness, separated. However, “There have been Israeli Arab members of the Knesset ever since the first Knesset elections in 1949.” Yet there are NO Jewish members of any Palestinian councils. “Sounds apart to me.”
One of the first promises in the Bible is given to Abram, whom God appointed to be a blessing to the whole earth. Not only did God tell this patriarch that he would receive a good land and have many children, but He also promised Abram, “I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse” (Gen. 12:1–3). That’s an incredible promise, isn’t it? God will favor those who favor Abram and set Himself against those who oppose Abram.
There’s a good reason for you.
And:
Numbers 24:1–9
1 When Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go, as at other times, to look for omens, but set his face toward the wilderness. 2 And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe. And the Spirit of God came upon him.
There are many other references, I can do this all day if needed.
If you can freely state that there is a God then I can freely tell you that this is not the case. This is 2023 and adults shouldn’t be misled by a fairy tale.
Bronze Age fables are a poor basis for national policy making.
And what “international law” are you referring to there?
Specifically 1907 Hague Regulations (arts 42-56) and the Fourth Geneva Convention
You do realize that the League of Nations decided to create a state in the Middle East for Jewish settlement that included all of Jordan and Israel in the early 1920’s, and gave the custodianship to the Brits who were supposed to set up a Jewish State in the entire area? The Brits then carved off “Trans-Jordan” which they gave to a Saudi governor (who lost his position in war with the current Saudi Royal family) as his refuge?
In 1948, contrary to the UN Resolution 181, Jordan invaded the “Palestinian Partition” and eld the land, actually annexed the land and changed the game from Judea & Sameria to the “West Bank” which only two nations recognized, the UK & Pakistan, while the rest of the world did not, not even the Soviets. In May of 1967, Israel was blockaded (act of war) and in June attacked, and in the course of the war, took over what was given to the Jewish People by the League of Nations. (When the UN was created after WW2, all of the decisions of the League of Nations were ratified as UN Policy)
Your reference to the 1907 Hague Regulations (arts 42-56) and the Fourth Geneva Convention are legally irrelevant. The only apartied is being practiced in the Arab world, where nearly 1 million Jews were removed from their homes and countries with no more than their clothes on their backs. That is apartied! Facts are a bitch, aren’t they?
Are those prices right? $2.7 billion for 35 helicopters, or $77 million each. Are they gold plated?
The per unit cost used to be around $100-$139M depending on the contract. You can’t really divide the total contract value by the number of units and get an accurate price, just a ballpark without looking at the full contract. There are other line items with associated costs, e.g spare parts, technical manuals, in-field (fleet) engineering support, etc. Even beyond that, the out-year deliveries for units could see a (negotiate unit inflation adjustment due to anticipated rise in labor and materials. Government contracting is a dark art.
Yeah, it typically includes spare parts and support. And probably for the Israelis, technical training.
The per unit cost used to be around $100-$139M depending on the contract. You can’t really divide the total contract value by the number of units and get an accurate price, just a ballpark without looking at the full contract. There are other line items with associated costs, e.g spare parts, technical manuals, in-field (fleet) engineering support, etc. Even beyond that, the out-year deliveries for units could see a (negotiate) unit inflation adjustment due to anticipated rise in labor and materials. Government contracting is a dark art.
Not familiar with special mission military aircraft, I see. Sikorsky’s MH-60R ASW helicopter costs up to $80M a copy based on contract.
The USN paid a lot less for theirs, but they bought in large quantities. Foreign Military Sales are normally in small qtys so the unit cost goes way up.