The CH-53 Sea Stallion (Sikorsky S-65) is an American family of heavy-lift transport

helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...

s designed and built by the American manufacturer

Sikorsky Aircraft Sikorsky Aircraft is an American aircraft manufacturer based in Stratford, Connecticut. It was established by aviation pioneer Igor Sikorsky in 1923 and was among the first companies to manufacture helicopters for civilian and military use. Pre ...

. It was originally developed in response to a request from the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

Bureau of Naval Weapons The Bureau of Naval Weapons (BuWeps) was part of the United States Navy's material organization between 1959 and 1966, with responsibility for procurement and support of naval aircraft and aerial weapons, as well as shipboard and submarine naval we ...

made in March 1962 for a replacement for the

Sikorsky CH-37 Mojave The Sikorsky CH-37 Mojave (company designation S-56) is an American large heavy-lift helicopter of the 1950s. Design and development The S-56 came into being as an assault transport for the United States Marine Corps (USMC), with a capacity of ...

helicopters flown by the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

(USMC). In July 1962, Sikorsky's proposal, which was basically a scaled-up S-61R fitted with twin

General Electric T64 The General Electric T64 is a free-turbine turboshaft engine that was originally developed for use on helicopters, but which was later used on fixed-wing aircraft as well. General Electric introduced the engine in 1964. The original engine desig ...

turboshaft A turboshaft engine is a form of gas turbine that is optimized to produce shaftpower rather than jet thrust. In concept, turboshaft engines are very similar to turbojets, with additional turbine expansion to extract heat energy from the exhaust ...

engines and the dynamic system of the

S-64 The Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane is an American twin-engine heavy-lift helicopter. It is the civil version of the United States Army's CH-54 Tarhe. It is currently produced as the S-64 Aircrane by Erickson Inc. Development Under Sikorsky Th ...

CH-54 The Sikorsky CH-54 Tarhe is an American twin-engine heavy-lift helicopter designed by Sikorsky Aircraft for the United States Army. It is named after Tarhe, an 18th-century chief of the Wyandot Indian tribe whose nickname was "The Crane". The c ...

, was selected. On 14 October 1964, the YCH-53A performed its

maiden flight The maiden flight, also known as first flight, of an aircraft is the first occasion on which it leaves the ground under its own power. The same term is also used for the first launch of rockets. The maiden flight of a new aircraft type is alwa ...

; the first deliveries of production CH-53s to operational units commenced on 12 September 1966. The first combat use of the type occurred during the following year when it was deployed to the Vietnam theatre; the CH-53 quickly proved its value for moving heavy payloads, particularly in the recovery of damaged aircraft. Several variants of the type were promptly introduced. The

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

introduced the HH-53 "Super Jolly Green Giant", configured for

special operations Special operations (S.O.) are military activities conducted, according to NATO, by "specially designated, organized, selected, trained, and equipped forces using unconventional techniques and modes of employment". Special operations may include ...

and combat search and rescue (CSAR) missions, during the latter part of the Vietnam War; the majority of these were subsequently rebuilt into the

MH-53 Pave Low The Sikorsky MH-53 Pave Low series is a retired long-range special operations and combat search and rescue (CSAR) helicopter for the United States Air Force. The series was upgraded from the HH-53B/C, variants of the Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stal ...

. The dimensionally-similar

CH-53E Super Stallion The Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion is a heavy-lift helicopter operated by the United States military. As the Sikorsky S-80, it was developed from the CH-53 Sea Stallion, mainly by adding a third engine, adding a seventh blade to the main rotor, ...

is a heavier-lifting improved version of the rotorcraft, designated ''S-80E'' by Sikorsky; its third engine makes it more powerful than the Sea Stallion and thus displaced it for the heavy-lift mission. Furthermore, many early-build CH-53s were refitted with more powerful engines, while others were reconfigured for different mission roles, such as US presidential flights, training, and airborne mine countermeasures (AMCM) operations. Several export deals for the CH-53 were made, leading to several international operators of the type. Amongst the most prolific of these are Germany, Iran, and Israel. Several unusual or high profile operations have been undertaken, such as the capture and transportation of a

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

advanced

radar Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance (''ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, w ...

system to Israel under

Operation Rooster 53 Operation Rooster 53 was an Israeli military operation during the War of Attrition to capture an Egyptian P-12 radar system. Often referred to as merely Operation Rooster, it was carried out on December 26 and 27, 1969. Participating forces incl ...

in 1969, Iran's capture of five American CH-53s as a result of

Operation Eagle Claw Operation Eagle Claw, known as Operation Tabas ( fa, عملیات طبس) in Iran, was a failed operation by the United States Armed Forces ordered by U.S. President Jimmy Carter to attempt the rescue of 52 embassy staff held captive at th ...

in 1980. Various operators deployed their CH-53s during international missions, often under the auspices of

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

or the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

, such as for

UNSCOM United Nations Special Commission (UNSCOM) was an inspection regime created by the United Nations to ensure Iraq's compliance with policies concerning Iraqi production and use of weapons of mass destruction after the Gulf War. Between 1991 and 19 ...

in Iraq, in Kosovo with KFOR and

IFOR The Implementation Force (IFOR) was a NATO-led multinational peace enforcement force in Bosnia and Herzegovina under a one-year mandate from 20 December 1995 to 20 December 1996 under the codename ''Operation Joint Endeavour''. Background NATO ...

in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the

ISAF ' ps, کمک او همکاري ' , allies = Afghanistan , opponents = Taliban Al-Qaeda , commander1 = , commander1_label = Commander , commander2 = , commander2_label = , commander3 = , command ...

in Afghanistan. While several operated have opted to retain the type into the twenty-first century, numerous operators others have opted to supplement or withdraw their Sea Stallions in favour of other platforms, sometimes with the more powerful CH-53E.

Development

Origins

In 1960, the

(USMC) began to seek a replacement for their HR2S piston-powered helicopters. On 27 January 1961, the USMC began working with the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force on the "Tri-Service VTOL transport", which would eventually emerge as the

LTV XC-142 The Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV) XC-142 was a tri-service tiltwing experimental aircraft designed to investigate the operational suitability of vertical/short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) transports. An XC-142A first flew conventionally on 29 Septem ...

tiltwing A tiltwing aircraft features a wing that is horizontal for conventional forward flight and rotates up for vertical takeoff and landing. It is similar to the tiltrotor design where only the propeller and engine rotate. Tiltwing aircraft are typical ...

. The design became more elaborate and the program stretched out, causing the USMC to drop out when they decided they would not receive a working machine in a satisfactory timeframe. In particular, there were concerns that the high levels of downwash produced by the XC-142A would render shipborne operations impractical. In the end, the XC-142A, although a very innovative and capable machine, never entered production."S-65 Origins / US Marine CH-53A & CH-53D Sea Stallion"
Airvectors.net, 1 January 2016. In March 1962, the

, acting on behalf of the USMC, issued a request for a "Heavy Helicopter Experimental / ". The specifications dictated a load capability of with an operational radius of at a speed of . It was also specified to possess a higher top speed and greater lifting capacity than existing helicopters while also having a lower empty weight than preceding designs as well. The was to be used in the assault transport, aircraft recovery, personnel transport, and

medical evacuation Medical evacuation, often shortened to medevac or medivac, is the timely and efficient movement and en route care provided by medical personnel to wounded being evacuated from a battlefield, to injured patients being evacuated from the scene of a ...

roles. In the assault transport role, it was to be mostly used to haul heavy equipment instead of troops. In response,

Boeing Vertol Boeing Rotorcraft Systems (formerly Boeing Helicopters and before that Boeing Vertol) is the former name of an American aircraft manufacturer, now known as Vertical Lift division of Boeing Defense, Space & Security. The headquarters and main r ...

offered a modified version of the

CH-47 Chinook The Boeing CH-47 Chinook is a tandem rotor helicopter developed by American rotorcraft company Piasecki Helicopter, Vertol and manufactured by Boeing Rotorcraft Systems#Background, Boeing Vertol. The Chinook is a heavy-lift helicopter that is a ...

;

Kaman Aircraft Kaman Corporation is an American aerospace company, with headquarters in Bloomfield, Connecticut. It was founded in 1945 by Charles Kaman. During the first ten years the company operated exclusively as a designer and manufacturer of several h ...

offered a development of the British

Fairey Rotodyne The Fairey Rotodyne was a 1950s British compound gyroplane designed and built by Fairey Aviation and intended for commercial and military uses.Sikorsky offered what amounted to a scaled-up version of the S-61R, with twin

engines and the dynamic system of the

, to be designated the S-65. Kaman's proposal quickly died when the British government dropped its backing of the Rotodyne program. Competition between Boeing Vertol and Sikorsky was intense, with the Chinook having an advantage because it was being acquired by the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

. During July 1962, it was announced that Sikorsky's bid had been selected as the winner on account of various considerations, including cost, technical factors, and production capability. However, a contract was not immediately forthcoming due to budgetary limitations. Sikorsky YCH-53A 1964

The USMC had originally sought to procure four prototypes. However, in light of funding shortfalls, Sikorsky, determined to keep the deal, reduced their estimate for the program's development costs by proposing that development could be performed with only two prototypes. Military officials favourably received the company's proposed reduction; in September 1962, Sikorsky was awarded a $9,965,635 contract for the production of a pair of YCH-53A prototypes, as well as a mockup and a ground-test airframe. The development program did not go entirely smoothly, due to a shortage of engineering resources plus various failures of

subcontractor A subcontractor is an individual or (in many cases) a business that signs a contract to perform part or all of the obligations of another's contract. Put simply the role of a subcontractor is to execute the job they are hired by the contractor f ...

s and the government, but these problems were gradually overcome. There was also pressure against the program from U.S. Secretary of Defense

Robert S. McNamara Robert Strange McNamara (; June 9, 1916 – July 6, 2009) was an American business executive and the eighth United States Secretary of Defense, serving from 1961 to 1968 under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. He remains the ...

, who promoted the concept of "commonality" between the armed services by adopting the Chinook instead. However, the USMC managed to convince McNamara's staff that the Chinook could not meet their requirements without numerous expensive changes. The first YCH-53A performed its initial flight at the Sikorsky plant in

Stratford, Connecticut Stratford is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It is situated on Long Island Sound at the mouth of the Housatonic River. Stratford is in the Bridgeport–Stamford–Norwalk Metropolitan Statistical Area. It was settled ...

, on 14 October 1964, about four months behind schedule. During the previous month, the USMC had already placed an initial production contract for 16 helicopters. Flight trials went more smoothly than expected, helping make up for the time lost in development; on 19 November 1964, the type was formally introduced to the general public. Around this time, it received the military designation and name ''CH-53A Sea Stallion''. On 12 September 1966, the first deliveries of the CH-53 to an operational unit occurred.Frawley 2002, p. 148.

Further development

The CH-53A arrived in

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...

in January 1967 and proved useful, eventually recovering even more downed aircraft than the

. A total of 141 CH-53As were built, including the two prototypes. The U.S. Navy acquired 15 CH-53As from the USMC in 1971 for airborne mine countermeasures (AMCM) activities. The helicopters had more powerful T64-GE-413 turboshafts installed and received the designation ''RH-53A''. The

ordered the HH-53B in September 1966 and it first flew on 15 March 1967. It added a refueling probe, drop fuel tanks and a rescue hoist; it also featured upgraded T64-GE-3 engines. The Air Force used the HH-53B for combat search and rescue (CSAR).Donald, David, ed. "Sikorsky S-65". ''The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft''. Barnes & Noble Books, 1997. . HH-53C was an improved CSAR variant with a smaller fuel tank in exchange for more armor and better communication systems. The CH-53C was similar except it lacked a refueling probe. It was used by the USAF for more general transport work.USAF HH-53B, HH-53C, & CH-53C
Vectorsite.net, 1 May 2006. CH-53Ds landing

Heavy lifting in tropical climates demanded more power, so the USMC decided to acquire an improved variant, the CH-53D, with uprated engines, originally the T64-GE-412 then later the T64-GE-413. The CH-53D also included an uprated transmission to go with the more powerful engines, and a revised interior to permit a load of 55 troops. The initial flight of the CH-53D was on 27 January 1969. The CH-53D served alongside the CH-53A through the rest of the Vietnam War. A VIP transport version designated ''VH-53D'' with plush accommodations was used by the USMC for the US presidential flights. The US Navy also acquired CH-53D-based helicopters for

minesweeping Minesweeping is the practice of the removal of explosive naval mines, usually by a specially designed ship called a minesweeper using various measures to either capture or detonate the mines, but sometimes also with an aircraft made for that ...

. These were designated ''RH-53D'' and included mine sweeping gear such as a pair of 0.50 BMG (12.7 mm) Browning machine guns for detonating mines. The Navy received 30 RH-53Ds beginning in 1973. After the RH-53Ds were in service, the RH-53As were handed back to the USMC and restored to CH-53A configuration. During the 1980s,

Israeli Air Force The Israeli Air Force (IAF; he, זְרוֹעַ הָאֲוִיר וְהֶחָלָל, Zroa HaAvir VeHahalal, tl, "Air and Space Arm", commonly known as , ''Kheil HaAvir'', "Air Corps") operates as the aerial warfare branch of the Israel Defense ...

's CH-53 ''Yas'ur'' fleet was upgraded by

Israel Aircraft Industries Israel Aerospace Industries (Hebrew: התעשייה האווירית לישראל ''ha-ta'asiya ha-avirit le-yisra'el'') or IAI (תע"א) is Israel's major aerospace and aviation manufacturer, producing aerial and astronautic systems for both mi ...

and Elbit Systems. The project – which ended only in 1997 – improved the CH-53 avionics, robustness and extended its life span by at least two decades. In 1989, some of the CH-53As being retired by the USMC were passed on to the U.S. Air Force for training, with these helicopters redesignated ''TH-53As''. The TH-53As were stripped of most operational equipment and painted in USAF

camouflage Camouflage is the use of any combination of materials, coloration, or illumination for concealment, either by making animals or objects hard to see, or by disguising them as something else. Examples include the leopard's spotted coat, the ...

colors.

Design

The Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallion is a heavy lift military transport helicopter. The CH-53A carries a crew of four; pilot, copilot, crew chief, and an

aerial observer Aerial may refer to: Music * ''Aerial'' (album), by Kate Bush * ''Aerials'' (song), from the album ''Toxicity'' by System of a Down Bands *Aerial (Canadian band) * Aerial (Scottish band) *Aerial (Swedish band) Performance art *Aerial silk, ...

. It can carry various payloads, including up to 38 fully-equipped troops, 24

litters Litter consists of waste products that have been discarded incorrectly, without consent, at an unsuitable location. Litter can also be used as a verb; to litter means to drop and leave objects, often man-made, such as aluminum cans, paper cups ...

with medical attendants, an internal cargo load of , or an external load of on the single-point sling hook. Access to the main cabin is via the large passenger door on the right side of the fuselage behind the cockpit, as well as by a power-operated loading ramp to the rear. This loading ramp was capable of facilitating drive-on loading operations, enabling quicker cargo movements. The CH-53A was designed to have a useful payload capacity, in terms of weight, of almost half of the rotorcraft's empty weight. It is provisioned with mechanical flight controls, which are backed by three independent

hydraulic Hydraulics (from Greek: Υδραυλική) is a technology and applied science using engineering, chemistry, and other sciences involving the mechanical properties and use of liquids. At a very basic level, hydraulics is the liquid counter ...

systems. As noted by Sikorsky engineer Edward S Carter Junior, the rotorcraft could be equipped to facilitate all-weather operations. It shares a somewhat similar fuselage design, albeit on a substantially larger scale, with the

Sikorsky S-61R The Sikorsky S-61R is a twin-engine helicopter used in transport or search and rescue roles. A developed version of the S-61/SH-3 Sea King, the S-61R was also built under license by Agusta as the AS-61R. The S-61R served in the United States ...

series. While the Sea Stallion's fuselage is watertight, the helicopter is not intended for amphibious use and its ability to land on water is meant to only be used in emergency situations. To save space, which is normally at a premium on board most naval vessels, both the tail boom and the rotors can be folded while the helicopter is stowed; to reduce the workload involved in this process, an automated folding system was developed by Sikorsky. Both the crew and vital systems are protected by armouring across key areas. All of the fuel was housed within

sponson Sponsons are projections extending from the sides of land vehicles, aircraft or watercraft to provide protection, stability, storage locations, mounting points for weapons or other devices, or equipment housing. Watercraft On watercraft, a spon ...

s on either side of the fuselage. The CH-53A was typically equipped with a pair of 7.62×51mm NATO

M60 machine gun The M60, officially the Machine Gun, Caliber 7.62 mm, M60, is a family of American general-purpose machine guns firing 7.62×51mm NATO cartridges from a disintegrating belt of M13 links. There are several types of ammunition approved for ...

s that point out to each side of the fuselage. CH-53D Sea Stallion spewing flares

The CH-53A features a fully-articulated six-bladed main rotor and four-bladed tail rotor. According to Carter, the relatively high speed requirement stipulated by the USMC was the primary factor shaping the dynamic design. While the Sea Stallion's dynamic systems were largely derived from those used on the earlier

Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane The Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane is an American twin-engine heavy-lift helicopter. It is the civil version of the United States Army's CH-54 Tarhe. It is currently produced as the S-64 Aircrane by Erickson Inc. Development Under Sikorsky Th ...

, substantial reengineering were also involved due to the vastly different operating requirements. Extensive use of

titanium Titanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ti and atomic number 22. Found in nature only as an oxide, it can be reduced to produce a lustrous transition metal with a silver color, low density, and high strength, resistant to corrosion in ...

was made across its dynamic components, particularly for elements that may have been susceptible to degradation over time due to

metal fatigue In materials science, fatigue is the initiation and propagation of cracks in a material due to cyclic loading. Once a fatigue crack has initiated, it grows a small amount with each loading cycle, typically producing striations on some parts o ...

. Initially, the CH-53 was powered by a pair of General Electric T64-6

engines, each of which provided up to . These engine were located on the upper fuselage. Later engines included the T64-1, capable of generating up to , and the T64-16, which was rated for up to . The HH-53B model featured T64-3 engines, which produced up to . The improved CH-53D features uprated engines, initially using the T64-GE-412 that could provide up to , then the T64-413 with its further elevated output of ; these more powerful engines necessitated the use of an uprated transmission. Interior changes included additional seats, which allowed for up to 55 troops to be carried at a time. The CH-53D is generally armed with twin .50 BMG (12.7 mm) M2/

XM218 The M2 machine gun or Browning .50 caliber machine gun (informally, "Ma Deuce") is a heavy machine gun that was designed towards the end of World War I by John Browning. Its design is similar to Browning's earlier M1919 Browning machine gun, w ...

machine guns A machine gun is a fully automatic, rifled autoloading firearm designed for sustained direct fire with rifle cartridges. Other automatic firearms such as automatic shotguns and automatic rifles (including assault rifles and battle rifles) a ...

. During the type's later years of service, it has become commonplace for CH-53Ds to have been retrofitted with various defensive countermeasures; such apparatus has often included an AN/ALE-39

chaff Chaff (; ) is the dry, scaly protective casing of the seeds of cereal grains or similar fine, dry, scaly plant material (such as scaly parts of flowers or finely chopped straw). Chaff is indigestible by humans, but livestock can eat it. In agri ...

dispenser and an AN/ALQ-157

infrared countermeasure An infrared countermeasure (IRCM) is a device designed to protect aircraft from infrared homing ("heat seeking") missiles by confusing the missiles' infrared guidance system so that they miss their target (electronic countermeasure). Heat-see ...

. Later production CH-53Ds featured a Blade Inspection Method (BIM) scheme to detect cracks in its metal rotors. BIM involved pressurizing the interior of the rotor blades with

nitrogen Nitrogen is the chemical element with the symbol N and atomic number 7. Nitrogen is a nonmetal and the lightest member of group 15 of the periodic table, often called the pnictogens. It is a common element in the universe, estimated at se ...

. If a crack is present pressure is lost and a red indicator on the rotor blade tip was tripped. Later, the BIM system was connected to a cockpit display. BIM reduced the need to routinely swap rotor blades.

Operational history

United States

The CH-53/HH-53 has seen considerable use in warzones and served in various conflict during its service. It was first used in the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

, often recovering downed aircraft and evacuating personnel. The CH-53D served alongside the CH-53A through the latter portion of the US's presence in Vietnam; both types played a critical role at the end of the conflict, performing evacuations of personnel during

Operation Frequent Wind Operation Frequent Wind was the final phase in the evacuation of American civilians and "at-risk" Vietnamese from Saigon, South Vietnam, before the takeover of the city by the North Vietnamese People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) in the Fall of Saig ...

. U.S. Air Force HH-53 Super Jolly Green Giants were the primary search-and-rescue helicopter in Southeast Asia between 1967 and 1975, inserted the

Operation Ivory Coast Operation Ivory Coast was a mission conducted by United States Special Operations Forces and other American military elements to rescue U.S. prisoners of war during the Vietnam War. It was also the first joint military operation in United States ...

rescue team into the

North Vietnam North Vietnam, officially the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV; vi, Việt Nam Dân chủ Cộng hòa), was a socialist state supported by the Soviet Union (USSR) and the People's Republic of China (PRC) in Southeast Asia that existed f ...

ese prison camp at

Son Tay A son is a male reproduction, offspring; a boy or a man in relation to his parents. The female counterpart is a daughter. From a biological perspective, a son constitutes a first degree relative. Social issues In pre-industrial societies and s ...

in 1970, and carried the USMC and Air Force Security Forces who attempted to rescue the crew of SS ''Mayagüez''.Wetterhahn 2002, p. 26. Marine-flown Navy Sea Stallions were the rotary-wing element of

, the attempted rescue of American hostages in Iran in 1980 that ended in disaster and embarrassment at "Desert One". Marine CH-53s were used in

Grenada Grenada ( ; Grenadian Creole French: ) is an island country in the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea at the southern end of the Grenadines island chain. Grenada consists of the island of Grenada itself, two smaller islands, Carriacou and Pe ...

during

Operation Urgent Fury The United States invasion of Grenada began at dawn on 25 October 1983. The United States and a coalition of six Caribbean nations invaded the island nation of Grenada, north of Venezuela. Codenamed Operation Urgent Fury by the U.S. military, ...

. The CH-53 was operated by the

Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...

and

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...

in support of

Operation Iraqi Freedom {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق (Kurdish languages, Kurdish) , partof = the Iraq conflict (2003–present), I ...

. It is also operated by all three services in support of

Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was the official name used synonymously by the U.S. government for both the War in Afghanistan (2001–2014) and the larger-scale Global War on Terrorism. On 7 October 2001, in response to the September 11 at ...

in Afghanistan. It was in the Afghan theatre than the final operational missions of the CH-53D fleet were performed during February 2012. On 17 September 2007,

VMM-263 Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263 (VMM-263) is a United States Marine Corps tiltrotor squadron consisting of MV-22B Osprey transport aircraft. The squadron, known as the "Thunder Chickens", is based at Marine Corps Air Station New River, North ...

of the USMC was deployed with ten MV-22B Ospreys, a

tiltrotor A tiltrotor is an aircraft which generates lift and propulsion by way of one or more powered rotors (sometimes called ''proprotors'') mounted on rotating shafts or nacelles usually at the ends of a fixed wing. Almost all tiltrotors use a trans ...

aircraft. The V-22 has been the primary replacement for the USMC's fleets of CH-53Ds and CH-46E Sea Knights, but not the more powerful CH-53Es; instead, the in-development

CH-53K The Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion (Sikorsky S-95) is a heavy-lift Transport helicopter, cargo helicopter designed and produced by Sikorsky Aircraft. The King Stallion is an evolution of the long running Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallion, CH-53 series ...

is planned to supplant the Navy and USMC CH-53E fleets. During September 2011,

HMH-463 Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 463 (HMH-463) was a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron consisting of CH-53E Super Stallion transport helicopters. The squadron, also known as "Pegasus", was last based at Marine Corps Air Station Kane ...

replaced its CH-53Ds with CH-53Es.

HMH-363 Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 363 (VMM-363) is a United States Marine Corps tiltrotor squadron consisting of MV-22 Osprey, MV-22B Ospreys. The squadron, known as the "Lucky Red Lions", is based at Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay, MCB Hawa ...

and

HMH-362 Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 362 (VMM-362) is a United States Marine Corps squadron that operates MV-22 Osprey. The squadron, known as the "Ugly Angels", was reactivated on 17 August 2018 at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California. Missi ...

are to operate D-models until the squadrons are deactivated. Both units are to be reactivated as MV-22 and CH-53K squadrons respectively. Several CH-53D helicopters will be retained for the 3rd Marine Regiment for training. HMH-362 retired the last CH-53Ds after its combat deployment in August 2012 and decommissioned in November 2012.

Israel

In August 1968, an

(IAF) delegation visited Sikorsky's Connecticut plant while seeking information to select the service's next assault helicopter. The delegation was looking for a helicopter with augmented payload carry capacity, highly maneuverable and robust, that could survive direct hits from different caliber projectiles. They examined Boeing's CH-47 Chinook and Sikorsky's CH-53, it was recognised that the latter was both larger and stronger than any of the IAF's other helicopters, and thus represented a major advancement in terms of capability. Based upon experience gained from the intense combat of the then-recently fought

Six-Day War The Six-Day War (, ; ar, النكسة, , or ) or June War, also known as the 1967 Arab–Israeli War or Third Arab–Israeli War, was fought between Israel and a coalition of Arab world, Arab states (primarily United Arab Republic, Egypt, S ...

, the delegation opted to favour the CH-53. Flickr - Israel Defense Forces - Iron Trails Reconnaissance Company Conducts Major Exercise

On 2 October 1969, the first S-65C-3 (CH-53D) helicopters were delivered to Israel of an initial order of seven. At the time, the country was engaged in the

War of Attrition The War of Attrition ( ar, حرب الاستنزاف, Ḥarb al-Istinzāf; he, מלחמת ההתשה, Milhemet haHatashah) involved fighting between Israel and Egypt, Jordan, the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and their allies from ...

, and thus the type was quickly dispatched into combat. Receiving the Hebrew name ''Yas'ur'' (

Petrel Petrels are tube-nosed seabirds in the bird order Procellariiformes. Description The common name does not indicate relationship beyond that point, as "petrels" occur in three of the four families within that group (all except the albatross f ...

), a further 35 helicopter were delivered to fulfil subsequent orders. On 6 August 1970, the first Yas'ur squadron was established. For several decades, the type has served as the primary cargo helicopters of the IAF, being routinely used to carry both troops and heavy equipment. In 1969, during the War of Attrition, IAF CH-53s landed in Egypt and conveyed a captured

advanced

system back to Israel for examination by Israeli scientists and engineers (see ''

''). The Yas'ur was also used in various other capacities during the conflict, including the retrieval of a navigator from a downed IAF

F-4 Phantom II The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber originally developed by McDonnell Aircraft for the United States Navy.Swanborough and Bow ...

under sustained enemy fire on 30 June 1970. During the 1973

Yom Kippur War The Yom Kippur War, also known as the Ramadan War, the October War, the 1973 Arab–Israeli War, or the Fourth Arab–Israeli War, was an armed conflict fought from October 6 to 25, 1973 between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egy ...

, the Yas'ur routinely moved

artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...

batteries and for the insertion of IDF units around the fronts. The type was also used to evacuate hundreds of wounded soldiers and rescued pilots from behind enemy lines in both Egypt and Syria. In one engagement, a single Yas'ur was attacked by multiple aircraft, including a pair of

MiG-21 The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-21; NATO reporting name: Fishbed) is a supersonic jet fighter and interceptor aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. Its nickna ...

s; while sustaining damage, it was still able to return to base. Since 1973, Yas'urs have also been used by the IDF to land and extract

Sayeret Special forces units in the Israel Defense Forces encompass a broad definition of specialist units. Such units are usually a regiment or a battalion in strength. Sayeret ( he, סיירת, Plural, pl.: ''sayarot''), or ''reconnaissance'' Militar ...

commandos on raids and patrols deep behind enemy lines in Lebanon Syria and the greater Middle East. During the 1980s,

, along with military high-tech firm Elbit Systems, commenced a major upgrade program for the IAF Yas'ur fleet. The project, which was completed in 1997, improved the CH-53's avionics and increased its robustness, as well as extending the fleet's operating life by at least two decades. IAF-CH-53-Yasur-2025--Independence-Day-2017-Tel-Nof-IZE-151

IAF-CH-53-Yasur-2025--Independence-Day-2017-Tel-Nof-IZE-151

In 1989, several Yas'urs were used to perform firefighting operations on and around

Mount Carmel Mount Carmel ( he, הַר הַכַּרְמֶל, Har haKarmel; ar, جبل الكرمل, Jabal al-Karmil), also known in Arabic as Mount Mar Elias ( ar, link=no, جبل مار إلياس, Jabal Mār Ilyās, lit=Mount Saint Elias/Elijah), is a c ...

. They performed dozens of low flyovers into the smoke and flames, dumped 700 tons of water on the fire, and doused it. On 8 November 1992, a pair of CH-53s performed one of the IAF's longest-distance sea rescue operations to retrieve passenger from the distressed yacht ''Fantasy 2'' off the coast of

Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...

. During the

2006 Lebanon War The 2006 Lebanon War, also called the 2006 Israel–Hezbollah War and known in Lebanon as the July War ( ar, حرب تموز, ''Ḥarb Tammūz'') and in Israel as the Second Lebanon War ( he, מלחמת לבנון השנייה, ''Milhemet Leva ...

Hezbollah Hezbollah (; ar, حزب الله ', , also transliterated Hizbullah or Hizballah, among others) is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and militant group, led by its Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah since 1992. Hezbollah's parami ...

shot down an Israeli CH-53 Yas'ur with an anti-tank missile, killing five air crew members. This was reportedly the only combat loss of an Israeli CH-53 during this conflict. On 16 August 2012, the IAF temporarily grounded its CH-53 fleet following one having experienced in-flight difficulties that led to an emergency landing; initial reports state the issue was related to the rotor blades. The fleet was again grounded for three weeks after a CH-53 was destroyed by a fire during a training exercise; the IAF subsequently attributed this loss to a defective component and blamed

Lockheed Martin The Lockheed Martin Corporation is an American aerospace, arms, defense, information security, and technology corporation with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It ...

for failing to communicate the issue. During 2015, it was announced that Israel planned to withdraw the last of its Yasurs around 2025. Replacement options studied included the CH-53K and the CH-47F Chinook, with a prospective order for approximately 20 helicopters being placed for the preferred option. During February 2021, the

Israeli Ministry of Defense The Ministry of Defense ( he, מִשְׂרַד הַבִּטָּחוֹן, Misrad HaBitahon, Ministry of Security, acronym: he, משהב"ט) of the government of Israel, is the governmental department responsible for defending the State of Isra ...

announced the selection of the CH-53K to replace the Yasur fleet.

Iran

During the 1970s, an initial fleet of six RH-53D Sea Stallions was delivered to the

Imperial Iranian Navy The Iranian Navy traditionally located in the shallow waters of the Persian Gulf, has always been the smallest of the country's military forces. An Iranian navy in one form or another has existed since Achaemenid times in 500 BC. The Phoenician n ...

(IIN). Following the

Iranian Revolution The Iranian Revolution ( fa, انقلاب ایران, Enqelâb-e Irân, ), also known as the Islamic Revolution ( fa, انقلاب اسلامی, Enqelâb-e Eslâmī), was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynas ...

in 1979, the Sea Stallions continued in service with the renamed

Islamic Republic of Iran Navy , ''Daryādelān''"Seahearts" , patron = , motto = fa, راه ما، راه حسین است, ''Rāh-e ma, rāh-e hoseyn ast''"''Our Path, Is Hussain's Path''" , colors = , ...

(IRIN). These were supplemented by five U.S. Navy examples that were abandoned during

in 1980. Despite US sanctions that have blocked the nation from acquiring spares and support from overseas, Iran has reportedly been able to keep at least a portion of their Sea Stallions in an operational condition; this effort has been aided by illegal exports of controlled parts to Iran by US citizens.

Germany

In 1966, the German military evaluated both the CH-53 and

as a replacement for the H-21 and H-34G helicopters with an initial requirement for 133. The purchase of the CH-53 was approved in June 1968 but due to budget constraints only 110 were ordered. Following the delivery in 1969 of two pre-production helicopters from Sikorsky the production aircraft were licence built by

VFW-Fokker VFW-Fokker GmbH was a joint venture of Fokker and Vereinigte Flugtechnische Werke (VFW) started in 1969 that, from then on, controlled the ERNO initiative. The Entwicklungsring Nord (Northern development circle) — abbreviated ERNO — was a ...

Speyer Speyer (, older spelling ''Speier'', French: ''Spire,'' historical English: ''Spires''; pfl, Schbaija) is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Located on the left bank of the river Rhine, Speyer li ...

in Germany. The first German-built CH-53G Mittlerer Transporthubschrauber helicopter flew from Speyer on 11 October 1971 and was delivered to the Erprobungsstelle der Bundeswehr 61 flight test center at

Manching Manching is a municipality in the district of Pfaffenhofen, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the river Paar, 7 km southeast of Ingolstadt. In the late Iron Age, there was a Celtic settlement, the Oppidum of Manching, on the location ...

on 1 December 1971. The

German Army Aviation Corps The German Army Aviation Corps (german: Heeresfliegertruppe) is a special unit within the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr). The German Army Aviation Corps is a branch of the German Army (''Heer''), containing all its helicopter units. The German ...

received 110 type CH-53Gs, derivatives of the CH-53D, between 1971 and 1975. 108 helicopters were built in Germany by VFW-Fokker. The first flight by a German CH-53G was made in 1971, followed in March 1973 by the delivery of the first machines to Heeresfliegerregiment (HFlgRgt, Army Aviation Corps Regiment) 35 in

Mendig Mendig () is a small town in the district Mayen-Koblenz, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated approximately 6 km north-east of Mayen, and 25 km west of Koblenz. Mendig is the seat of the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' ("collective muni ...

, and shortly afterwards to the newly formed Army Aviation Corps Regiment 15 based at Rheine and Army Aviation Corps Regiment 25 based at

Laupheim Laupheim (; Swabian: ''Laoba'') is a major district town in southern Germany in the state of Baden-Württemberg. Laupheim was first mentioned in 778 and gained city rights in 1869. One of the main trading routes, from Ulm to Ravensburg and then ...

. In order to meet ever more demanding specifications, over time the CH-53G received modifications from 1990 designed to improve its service life and operational capabilities. These involved three major upgrades: new missile warning and self-protection systems; provision for two external fuel tanks allowing range to be increased to when carrying 36 armed soldiers or a payload; and addition of a

night vision goggles A night-vision device (NVD), also known as a night optical/observation device (NOD), night-vision goggle (NVG), is an optoelectronic device that allows visualization of images in low levels of light, improving the user's night vision. The dev ...

-compatible cockpit for night low-level flying capabilities. All CH-53Gs were upgraded by Eurocopter Germany by early 2001, resulting in updated GS/GE/GA variants. As a result of foreign military operations 20 CH-53G helicopters were converted to perform Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) missions. Version CH-53GS is equipped with modernized IFR equipment, additional exterior fuel tanks, low-flight night vision cockpit and NVG, partial ballistic protection, engine dust collectors, missile counter measure and self-defence armament. Additionally the original engines were replaced by the more powerful T64-100 engines. German Army Aviation Corps units have carried out a wide range of international missions under the auspices of

and the UN, providing transport for members of

in Iraq, serving in Kosovo with KFOR, with

in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and more recently with

in Afghanistan. On 1 January 2013, all Army Aviation Corps CH-53Gs were transferred to the

German Air Force The German Air Force (german: Luftwaffe, lit=air weapon or air arm, ) is the aerial warfare branch of the , the armed forces of Germany. The German Air Force (as part of the ''Bundeswehr'') was founded in 1956 during the era of the Cold War a ...

and incorporated into

Helicopter Wing 64 Helicopter Wing 64 (german: Hubschraubergeschwader 64) is a Wing (military aviation unit), wing of the German Air Force (''Luftwaffe''). It was subordinate to Air Force Forces Command (Germany), Air Force Forces Command until that was disbanded ...

. During the 2010s, Germany was reportedly considering options for replacing its aging CH-53G fleet, with candidates including the Chinook and the

model. On 29 September 2020, the German Ministry of Defense cancelled the "Schwerer Transporthubschrauber" (STH) heavy-lifting helicopter program for 45 to 60 helicopters after the initiative was judged to be too expensive and stated that its CH-53Gs fleet would be replaced following a period of reexamination. In 2022, the Federal Government announced that all of Germany's CH-53s would be replaced by 60 CH-47Fs.

Austria

During 1970, a pair of S-65C-2 or S-65Ö (equivalent to the CH-53D standard, albeit without the aerial refuelling probe) helicopters were delivered to Austria. Intended primarily to perform airborne rescue operations in the

Alps The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Sw ...

, they were assigned to 1st Helicopter Wing of the

Austrian Air Force The Austrian Air Force (german: Österreichische Luftstreitkräfte, , Austrian Air Combat Force) is a component part of the Austrian Armed Forces. History The Austrian Air Force in its current form was created in May 1955 by the victorious Al ...

, making the service the second foreign operator of the CH-53. Their equipment included same rescue hoist as the HH-53 and fittings for auxiliary fuel tanks and accommodation for 38 passengers. Although they performed well in high altitude operations, the type's relatively high operating costs were a major contributing factor in Austria's decision to sell both rotorcraft to Israel in 1981.

Mexico

During 2003, the

Fuerza Aérea Mexicana The Mexican Air Force (FAM; es, Fuerza Aérea Mexicana) is the primary aerial warfare service branch of the Mexican Armed Forces. It is a component of the Mexican Army and depends on the National Defense Secretariat (SEDENA). The objective of t ...

(FAM) acquired four surplus CH-53D Sea Stallions from Israel at a combined cost of $25 million. Prior to their delivery in 2005, all helicopters were upgraded to the Yasur 2000 standard. Due to restricted budgets, only two were actually operated by 104th Air Squadron, while the other pair served as a source of spare parts. Their initial missions were troop transport and commando insertion, but their principal mission was subsequently changed to performing rescue and disaster relief operations, being relocated to BAM 8 at

Yucatán Yucatán (, also , , ; yua, Yúukatan ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Yucatán,; yua, link=no, Xóot' Noj Lu'umil Yúukatan. is one of the 31 states which comprise the political divisions of Mexico, federal entities of Mexico. I ...

. By 2013, all examples had been permanently withdrawn from service.

Civil use

During 2007, the first commercially owned CH-53D was being converted by the Californian company Heavy Lift Helicopters into an

firefighting Firefighting is the act of extinguishing or preventing the spread of unwanted fires from threatening human lives and destroying property and the environment. A person who engages in firefighting is known as a firefighter. Firefighters typically ...

configuration, which was referred to by the firm as the ''Fire Stallion'' Having acquired a batch of six ex-military CH-53Ds, the company planned to make them available for hire by other operators; in addition to fire-fighting, construction work and general transport duties were envisioned for the fleet. While the fleet reportedly flew for a handful of years, they entered storage after only a short period of use due to component shortages.

Variants

German CH-53 Helicopter assigned to the Stabilization Force and Portuguese Army Soldiers

;YCH-53A: Two prototypes with two T64-GE-3 engines. ;CH-53A: Initial production variant for the USMC. 139 built. ;RH-53A: CH-53A re-engined with two T64-GE-413 engines as Airborne Mine CounterMeasures (AMCM) variants for the U.S. Navy. 15 conversions. ;TH-53A: Stripped CH-53As used for training by the

. ;CH-53D: CH-53A with an improved transmission, larger cabin for 55 troops and automatic rotor blade folding for the

, 126 built. ;RH-53D: United States Navy AMCM variant of the CH-53D, fitted with 0.50-inch caliber machine guns and provision for air refueling. 30 built for the USN. Six examples were also exported to Iran, before the

in 1979. This version can carry of cargo with cargo hook. ;VH-53D: Two CH-53Ds for USMC VIP transport ;VH-53F: Six unbuilt VIP helicopters for the US Navy/Marine Corps. ;CH-53G: German base version of the CH-53D for German Army Aviation Corps. The internal Sikorsky designation was S-65C-1.Sikorsky H-53 Sea Stallion
. Retrieved 28 April 2012. A total of 112 were produced including 2 pre-production and 20 assembled by VFW-Fokker and 90 built by Speyer.Eden, Paul. "Sikorsky H-53", ''Encyclopedia of Modern Military Aircraft''. Amber Books, 2004. . , 89 German CH-53s were in service, with 80 planned to be in service in 2014. All German CH-53s are going to receive T64-100 engines (in 3 batches; first batch has already been installed, second batch is currently being installed and 3rd batch is planned with funding made available). All will receive IFR-capability. ;CH-53GS: Update of 20 CH-53Gs in the late 1990s, with additional missile counter measure, upgraded communication and navigation system and two external fuel tanks added. They later received the first batch of T64-100 engines to operate in hot and high conditions that prevail in Afghanistan. MG3 and M3M machine guns were also fitted.Modernisierte Hubschrauber für Afghanistan-Einsatz
bundeswehr.de.
English translation
) A CH-53GS/GE update has also been ordered to provide combat search-and-rescue (CSAR) capability to 26 helicopters."Germany Upgrading Its CH-53G Helicopters"
Defense Industry Daily, 21 June 2009.Hoyle, Craig

Flight International, 23 June 2009. ;CH-53GE: A configuration based on CH-53GS combat search-and-rescue (CSAR) capabilities. The upgrade configuration was formerly known as CH-53GSX. It further updates with modern electronics, two external fuel tanks, counter measures and dust filters for the engines. Upgrade was ordered to support Afghanistan deployment. ;CH-53GA: Update of further 40 CH-53Gs with new flight deck, new flight control system, autopilot, navigation and communication systems, FLIR, ECM and missile counter measures as well as provisions for additional internal fuel tanks. The CH-53GA helicopter successfully completed its first flight in February 2010. The upgrade is to be completed in 2013. ;S-65C-3 Yas'ur: Export version for the Israel Air Force. The Yas'ur 2000 version are helicopters upgraded and improved by the

to extend life span past 2000. The Yas'ur 2025 is a further upgraded version with new systems and new gearboxes. Israel has 18 CH-53 2000s and 5 Yas'ur 2025s in service. ;S-65Ö: Export version for the Austrian Air Force. Internal Sikorsky designation was S-65C-2. :For other variants, see HH-53 "Super Jolly Green Giant"/MH-53 Pave Low and

Operators

; *

; * Islamic Republic Iranian Navy ; *

Former operators

Sikorsky S-65Oe (S-65C-2), Austria - Air Force AN1828200

; *

Mexican Air Force The Mexican Air Force (FAM; es, Fuerza Aérea Mexicana) is the primary aerial warfare service branch of the Mexican Armed Forces. It is a component of the Mexican Army and depends on the National Defense Secretariat ( SEDENA). The objective of ...

; *

(see

) *

Aircraft on display

Israel

;On display *

Israeli Air Force Museum The Israeli Air Force Museum is located at Hatzerim Airbase in the Negev desert. The museum was established in 1977 and has been open to the public since 1991. The museum displays a variety of Israeli Air Force and foreign aircraft, as well as a ...

United States

;On display * 153304 – CH-53A on display at

Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum The Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum is a United States Marine Corps aviation museum currently located at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, San Diego, California. The museum contains exhibits and artifacts relating to the history and legacy of ...

MCAS Miramar Marine Corps Air Station Miramar (MCAS Miramar) , formerly Naval Auxiliary Air Station (NAAS) Miramar and Naval Air Station (NAS) Miramar, is a United States Marine Corps installation that is home to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, which is the av ...

, California. * Fort Worth Aviation Museum,

Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. According ...

Accidents and incidents

Due to the aircraft's large size and troop capacity, aerial accidents involving CH-53 helicopters have been some of the deadliest helicopter accidents. * ''23 June 1967'': USMC CH-53A Bu. no #65-082 collided with a US Army

UH-1B The Bell UH-1 Iroquois military helicopter, first introduced in 1959, is the first production member of the prolific Huey family of helicopters, and was itself developed in over twenty variants, which are listed below. XH-40 and YH-40 The firs ...

#63-8572 while taking off from

Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune () is a United States military training facility in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Its of beaches make the base a major area for amphibious assault training, and its location between two deep-water ports ( Wilming ...

, all 20 Marines on board were killed along with two occupants of the UH-1B. * ''8 January 1968'': USMC CH-53A #65-100 of

crashed in the Hải Lăng Forest south of

Đông Hà Combat Base Đông Hà Combat Base (also known as Camp Spillman, Camp Red Devil or simply Đông Hà) is a former U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Army base northwest of Quảng Trị in central Vietnam. The base was first used by the 4th Marines in late April 1 ...

, killing all 46 personnel on board * ''19 February 1968'': USMC CH-53A #65-055 crashed into Monkey Mountain killing all 13 personnel on board. * ''22 February 1968'': USMC CH-53A #65-060, was hit by antiaircraft fire and crashed at

Khe Sanh Combat Base Khe Sanh Combat Base (also known as Ta Con) was a United States Marine Corps outpost south of the Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) used during the Vietnam War. History US Army Special Forces (Detachment A-101, Company C, 5th Special Forces G ...

, killing two Marines. * ''1 May 1968'': USMC CH-53A #65-058 crashed into the sea off Quảng Trị Province killing one crewman. * ''28 July 1968'': USMC CH-53A #65-061 crashed south of

Danang Nang or DanangSee also Danang Dragons ( ; vi, Đà Nẵng, ) is a class-1 municipality and the fifth-largest city in Vietnam by municipal population. It lies on the coast of the East Sea of Vietnam at the mouth of the Hàn River, and is o ...

killing all five crewmen. * ''1 September 1969'': USMC CH-53A #65-059 crashed in Thừa Thiên Province killing all five crewmen. * ''13 September 1970'': USMC CH-53D #65-181 was hit by antiaircraft fire and crashed with no fatalities. * ''26 October 1970'': USMC CH-53D #65-192 crashed on a test flight near Danang, killing one crewman. * ''30 October 1970'': USMC CH-53D #65-259 was hit by antiaircraft fire and crashed in Quảng Nam Province, killing two crewmen. * ''18 February 1971'': USAF CH-53C #65-227 of 21st Special Operations Squadron was hit by antiaircraft fire and crashed in

Laos Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...

with no fatalities. * ''18 February 1971'': USMC CH-53D #65-189 crashed near

Huế Huế () is the capital of Thừa Thiên Huế province in central Vietnam and was the capital of Đàng Trong from 1738 to 1775 and of Vietnam during the Nguyễn dynasty from 1802 to 1945. The city served as the old Imperial City and admi ...

, killing all nine personnel on board. * ''1 March 1971'': USAF CH-53C #65-229 of 21st Special Operations Squadron was hit by antiaircraft fire and crashed near

Long Tieng Long Tieng (also spelled Long Chieng, Long Cheng, or Long Chen) is a Laotian military base in Xaisomboun Province. During the Laotian Civil War, it served as a town and airbase operated by the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States. ...

, killing six personnel. * ''11 July 1972'': USMC CH-53D #65-177 was hit by a surface to air missile and crashed near

Quảng Trị Quảng Trị () is a district-level town in Quảng Trị Province in the North Central Coast region of Vietnam. It is second of two municipalities in the province after the provincial capital Đông Hà. History The Sino-Vietnamese name Quả ...

, killing three crewmen and 45 South Vietnamese Marines. * ''24 January 1975'': USAF CH-53C #65-338 of 21st Special Operations Squadron suffered main rotor head failure and crashed near

Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Navy Base The Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Navy Base (NKP), formerly ''Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base'', is a Royal Thai Navy facility used for riverine patrols along the Mekong River. It is approximately 587 km (365 miles) northeast of Bangko ...

, killing all four personnel on board. * ''13 May 1975'': USAF CH-53C #65-231 of 21st Special Operations Squadron crashed west of Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base, killing 23 Air Force personnel * ''15 May 1975'': during the ''Mayaguez'' Incident, three CH-53 of the 21st Special Operations Squadron were shot down by the

Khmer Rouge The Khmer Rouge (; ; km, ខ្មែរក្រហម, ; ) is the name that was popularly given to members of the Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK) and by extension to the regime through which the CPK ruled Cambodia between 1975 and 1979. ...

, resulting in the deaths of ten Marines, two Navy Corpsmen and two Air Force crewmen. * ''26 September 1975'': USAF CH-53C #65-342 of the 601st Tactical Air Support Squadron crashed near

Delbrück Delbrück () is a town in the east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, located in the district Paderborn. History The first document mentioning the town dates to 1219. In 1410, the town was destroyed by fire during a conflict between the bisho ...

(

Paderborn Paderborn (; Westphalian: ''Patterbuorn'', also ''Paterboärn'') is a city in eastern North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn district. The name of the city derives from the river Pader and ''Born'', an old German term for t ...

) Germany killing 16 personnel on board. * ''10 May 1977'': a CH-53 crashed in Israel, resulting in the deaths of 54 people. * ''21 October 1977'': a CH-53 crashed in Mindoro, Philippines during sling load operations due to a design flaw in the tail rotor drive; 31 US Marines serving in Operation Fortress Lightning were killed. * ''11 December 1978'': a CH-53G of the German Army Aviation Corps' Medium Transport Helicopter Regiment 25 crashed at

Laupheim Air Base Laupheim Air Base (German: ''Militärflugplatz Laupheim'', ICAO: ETHL) is a German Air Force base located close to the city of Laupheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is home to Helicopter Wing 64 which has 48 of its 60 helicopters stationed ...

, Germany. During landing in poor visibility the

tail rotor The tail rotor is a smaller rotor mounted vertically or near-vertically at the tail of a traditional single-rotor helicopter, where it rotates to generate a propeller-like horizontal thrust in the same direction as the main rotor's rotation. The ...

hit the ground. Of the four occupants, one was killed. * ''25 April 1980'': six USN RH-53s were lost in

, the failed attempt to rescue American hostages in Iran. * ''26 November 1980'': a CH-53G of the German Army Aviation Corps' Medium Transport Helicopter Regiment 15 crashed in a forest near Wippenkausen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. All four occupants were killed. * ''27 April 1983'': a CH-53D crashed in the Atlantic off the coast of Virginia. The crash resulted in the drowning of Marine 1st Lt David A. Boyle. The suit brought by Boyle's father went to the

Supreme Court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

. * ''24 March 1984'': a CH-53D crashed into a mountain in South Korea during a night troop operation, killing 29. * ''6 May 1985'': a CH-53D experienced a transmission failure and fell into Sea of Japan, killing 17. It was returning to Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from MCAS Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture. * ''29 December 1988'': an Israeli Yas'ur crashed during a border-stone laying mission at the Israel-Egypt border. Investigation determined that high-frequency heterodyne vibration, induced by a late control column attitude correction during hover by the pilot (the sole fatality), caused a structural failure; the separation of the aircraft's tail and its immediate, rapid counter-rotation and subsequent crash. The three remaining occupants were injured. A footage of this crash can be viewed on-line. A system of dampers to prevent rapid correction and thus the heterodyne vibrations, has been installed since on the remaining Yas'ur helicopters. * ''20 March 1989'': a Sea Stallion crashed while on maneuvers off mountainous east coast of South Korea, near P'ohang. 22 on board were killed. Sixteen other Marines, including one on the ground, were injured in the crash. * ''18 May 1990'': a USMC CH-53D en route to Marine Corps Air Station Tustin crashed in Imperial County, California, killing one crew member and injuring five others. In climbing flight, a pitch lock engaged in one main rotor blade causing a violent vibration that resulted in the tail rotor departing the aircraft at AGL. Torque and rapid rotation contributed to the aircraft breaking apart further just aft of the main transmission. Auto-rotation resulted a bounce, roll over and fire. Auxiliary tanks were attached. More than 200 servicemen had been killed in accidents involving the CH-53A, CH-53D, and CH-53E from 1969 to 1990. * ''14 March 1994'': a CH-53D landed tail-first and burst into flames on a military runway in Northern California. One Marine was killed and four Marines were injured. * ''4 February 1997'': two CH-53s collided in the Helicopter Disaster in Israel. A total of 73 people died in the accident. * ''21 December 2002'': a CH-53G of the German Army Aviation Corps' Medium Transport Helicopter Regiment 25 crashed near

Kabul Kabul (; ps, , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province; it is administratively divided into 22 municipal districts. Acco ...

killing all seven occupants. An investigation following the accident concluded that the crash was caused by mechanical failure. * ''23 November 2003'': a MH-53M crashed near Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. Five U.S. servicemen were killed. * ''13 August 2004'': a USMC CH-53D from

Marine Corps Air Station Futenma is a United States Marine Corps base located in Ginowan, Okinawa, Japan, northeast of Naha, on the island of Okinawa. It is home to approximately 3,000 Marines of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing and other units, and has been a U.S. military ai ...

crashed into

Okinawa International University , is a private university in Ginowan, Okinawa, Japan. The predecessor of the school was founded in 1959, and it was chartered as a university in 1972. The current President is Eiken Maetsu. Alumni * Ryo Kiyuna (born 1990), Japanese karateka Ext ...

Okinawa, Japan is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 Square kilometre, km2 (880 sq mi). ...

. No serious damage or injuries resulted but the crash caused an international incident because of strained relations about the US use of Futenma. The crash was caused by a maintenance error. * ''28 November 2008'': a CH-53G Registratin 84+36 of the German Army Aviation Corps' Medium Helicopter Transport Regiment 25 had a hard landing during an exercise at an altitude of 6,900 feet (2,300 m) near

Engelberg , neighboring_municipalities = Attinghausen (UR), Gadmen (BE), Innertkirchen (BE), Isenthal (UR), Wassen (UR), Wolfenschiessen (NW) , twintowns= Engelberg (lit.: ''mountain of angel(s)'') is a village resort and a municipality in the canton ...

in the

Swiss Alps The Alpine region of Switzerland, conventionally referred to as the Swiss Alps (german: Schweizer Alpen, french: Alpes suisses, it, Alpi svizzere, rm, Alps svizras), represents a major natural feature of the country and is, along with the Swiss ...

, injuring one of the six occupants. The dismantling and partial recovery of the helicopter wreckage was completed in June 2009 by helilifting 84+36 slung below her sister 84+32 down to the village of

Alpnach Alpnach is a village in the canton of Obwalden in Switzerland. It comprises the villages of Alpnach Dorf, Alpnachstad and Schoried. History Alpnach is first mentioned about 870 as ''Alpenacho''. Geography Alpnach has an area, , of . Of this are ...

. * ''26 July 2010'': an Israeli CH-53

crashed "Crashed" is the third U.S. rock Single (music), single, (the fifth overall), from the band Daughtry (band), Daughtry's debut album. It was released only to U.S. rock stations on September 5, 2007. Upon its release the song got adds at those stat ...

during a training flight in the Carpathian mountains in Romania, killing six Israeli soldiers and one Romanian. * ''29 March 2011'': a USMC CH-53D from MCBH Kaneohe Bay crashed into the bay, killing one and injuring three. * ''19 January 2012'': a USMC CH-53 crashed in southern Afghanistan. Six International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) troops, all Marines, were killed in the accident."U.S. copter crashes in Afghanistan; 6 dead"
CBS News, 20 January 2012.

Specifications (CH-53D)

References

Citations

Bibliography

* * * Frawley, Gerard: ''The International Directory of Military Aircraft'', page 148. Aerospace Publications Pty Ltd, 2002. . * *

External links

US Navy CH-53A/D/E and MH-53E history page
an
US Navy CH-53 fact file

an
CH/RH-53D fact file on USMC site

CH-53 Yas'ur
(

website)
H-53 page on GlobalSecurity.org

CH-53 Sea Stallion page on GlobalAircraft.org

Sikorsky S-65 / H-53 Sea Stallion page on Helis.com
{{Authority control United States military helicopters 1960s United States military transport aircraft Sikorsky aircraft 1960s United States helicopters Twin-turbine helicopters Search and rescue helicopters Aircraft first flown in 1964