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CH-53G - German Luftwaffe

Sikorsky has a long history of supporting Bundeswehr helicopter missions. The modern CH-53K was available for the replacement of a heavy transport helicopter (STH). The previous model, the Sikorsky CH-53G, had been in service with the Bundeswehr for more than 50 years. The 70 aircraft that remain to date provide important capabilities, such as the transport of troops and material, military evacuation and rescue operations, MedEvac missions, but also humanitarian operations, firefighting from the air and disaster relief are still part of the regular requirements for these machines and their crews.

After a procurement competition and extensive evaluation, the Sikorsky CH-53G prevailed over the Chinook in 1968 as the medium transport helicopter (MTH) for the German armed forces. The original model was then also developed for the United State Marine Corps and to this day the CH-53G fleet of the Bundeswehr has proven to be robust, safe and reliable in various areas of operation and challenging situations. In the decades of use, the Bundeswehr was able to draw on the many special features of these aircraft; In particular, the design for operation on the high seas also enabled permanent use in mountainous or desert regions as well as away from fortified airfields. The diverse operational profile of the USMC and the resulting high degree of flexibility in deployment also benefit the German Armed Forces. In addition, the machine can be operated at all Bundeswehr airfields and parked in the available infrastructure thanks to the automatic rotor folding system.

The Sikorsky CH-53 transport helicopter is used to transport people and material as well as for special tasks. The aircraft, which has been at home in the German Armed Forces since 1975, is now used by the Air Force in four different series. The Sikorsky CH-53 was developed in the early 1960s as a fast, all-weather, heavy transport helicopter for the UnitedDeveloped by the United States Marine Corps. The first S-65 prototype flew on October 14, 1964. The variant originally introduced into the Bundeswehr has the type designation CH-53G and is called "medium transport helicopter" (MTH). Except for the first two, all helicopters were built under license in Germany.

On July 26, 1972, the "first" CH-53G was officially handed over to the army. A total of 112 helicopters were procured for the Bundeswehr. The Army Aviation of the German Armed Forces received another variant under the designation CH-53G, whose airframe was manufactured under license by German aviation companies. The VFW-Fokker company was responsible for the final assembly and flying of the CH-53G. Other companies involved in cell production were the MBB works in Augsburg and Donauwörth and Dornier in Friedrichshafen. In 1972, Henschel Flugzeugwerke AG (HFW) in Kassel - which also took over the support of the dynamic components (rotor heads and gears) - built a special test stand for rotors for dynamic balancing of the CH-53 main rotor blades and installed it at the MBB plant in Donauwörth in put into operation. During the period from July 1972 to June 1975, a total of 112 CH-53Gs were delivered to the troops, with only the first two machines coming entirely from the USA; the remaining fuselages were manufactured in Germany and completed at VFW-Fokker in Speyer (today PFW Aerospace AG) with dynamic components from the USA. The same CH-53G variant was procured from Israel, but built entirely in the USA.

The Sikorsky CH-53 is a turbine-powered, twin-engine, single-main rotor transport helicopter with torque balanced by a tail rotor. The Super Stallion and CH-53K variants have three shaft engines. The helicopter is loaded and unloaded via a loading ramp at the rear, which is located below the tail boom. After their introduction into the Bundeswehr, the CH-53 were assigned to the transport helicopter regiments of the army aviation. Finally, the units were divided between Rheine-Bentlage (Middle Transport Helicopter Regiment 15 "Münsterland") and Laupheim (Middle Transport Helicopter Regiment 25 "Upper Swabia"). In Laupheim, a large-capacity rescue helicopter (GRH) was kept ready, while in Rheine a GRH was only available after scaffolding the set with a corresponding lead time. The medical staff is provided by the Bundeswehr Hospital in Ulm and the Bundeswehr Central Hospital in Koblenz. The Army Aviation Regiment 35 from Mendig, also a long CH-53 location, was disbanded in 2002 due to the restructuring of the German Armed Forces, the machines were distributed to the two remaining regiments.

As part of the realignment of the Bundeswehr that began at the end of 2010, during which conscription was also abolished, the medium transport helicopter regiments were disbanded and the army's CH-53 were handed over to the air force, which in return will not receive an NH-90. Locations for the association known as Helicopter Squadron 64 (HSG64) are Laupheim and Holzdorf-Schoenewalde after the transfer is complete. The handover appeal took place on December 13, 2012.

The Sikorsky CH-53 is able to operate worldwide, in almost all climatic zones, in almost any weather, day or night and at all threat levels. Four versions were in use in the Luftwaffe.

1. CH-53G with instrument flight equipment (IFR = Instrument Flight Rules)
2. CH-53GS "protected" helicopters with IFR equipment, external add-on tanks to increase range, compatible lighting for low-level night flight with image intensifier goggles, and Electronic Warfare (EK) self-protection equipment. In addition, these machines can be equipped with partial ballistic protection, engine dust separators and self-defense armaments.
3. CH-53GE "protected" helicopters are similar in equipment to the CH-53GS, but use internal auxiliary tanks to increase range.
4. CH-53GA, Product Enhanced (PV) helicopters, with improved capabilities in navigation, communications and self-protection equipment.

The capabilities of the Sikorsky CH-53 can be partially increased by various conversion kits. There is the possibility of installing devices for satellite communication and for searching and locating people.

Based on the experiences from the first missions abroad, 20 aircraft were further developed into the CH-53GS variant by 2002. By 2017, the product improvement project had converted 40 CH-53Gs to the CH-53GA variant in order to adapt the weapon system for different national and international mission profiles. The CH-53 G/ GS is powered by GEGerman Enhanced/ GAbasic trainingof two engines of the type General Electric T64-7 or its further development T64-100. The airframe of the helicopter is made of aluminum alloys in a conventional half-shell design and partially reinforced with steel. The machine is loaded and unloaded via a ramp at the rear below the tail rotor carrier. As part of a structural reform, it was decided to concentrate tactical air transport with the Luftwaffe. That is why the Sikorsky CH-53 has had its new home in Helicopter Squadron 64 of the Air Force since 2013.

The combat enhanced GSG version received, among other things, an EloKa system for the defense against anti-aircraft projectiles and a range increase in conjunction with night low-flying capability and ground-independent navigation.

In December 2019, Sikorsky was contracted by the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) to provide critical spares and dynamic components for the remaining service life of the CH-53G, which is expected to run until 2030. Sikorsky uses the established "Life Time Buy" (LTB) procedure for the logistical supply and a large part of the initial package has already been delivered.

The Bundeswehr's remaining 70 CH-53G helicopters continued to provide important air mobility capabilities to the entire Bundeswehr. “We are building on more than 50 years of partnership with the Bundeswehr,” says John Jaques , Sikorsky International Business Development Director. "Together with our German industry team, we feel obliged to provide all possibilities to stabilize the availability of the existing CH-53G fleet and will support the German Armed Forces until the currently planned end of service life in 2030."

As part of this "Life Time Buy" (LTB) contract, the proven Sikorsky maintenance strategy for the improvement and stabilization of helicopter fleets in use comes into play. Under these framework conditions, the crews and technicians can continue to be trained and kept in practice on the existing aircraft in operation and maintenance. A comparable concept has been used for some time by other armed forces, such as the Israeli Air Force (IAF) with the CH-53D and the United States Marine Corps (USMC) with the CH-53E.

The servicing and maintenance of the CH-53G fleet in Germany will continue to be an important foundation over the next few years as crews and technicians will need to operate the fleet at the existing locations while preparing for the transition to an STH fleet. “A stable availability of the existing fleet is an elementary foundation for a successful introduction of a new heavy transport helicopter; It is of enormous importance to support the Air Force in this transitional phase in being able to continue to operate the existing aircraft, so that at the same time the personnel for the next generation of heavy transport helicopters can be continuously trained. We are ready for this with our industrial team,” adds Jaques.

The options for replacing the existing Sikorsky CH-53G fleet are currently being evaluated as part of a government purchase process (Foreign Military Sale - FMS) between the USA and Germany. The CH-53K “King Stallion” is part of this ongoing evaluation. The CH-53K heavy transport helicopter would allow for a seamless transition from the existing CH-53G fleet while also meeting all military requirements of the German Armed Forces. The aircraft could be introduced into the Bundeswehr as a marketable (Military-Off-The-Shelf - MOTS) helicopter without any further need for complex and cost-intensive conversion measures and modifications.