Naval Air Systems Command this week awarded General Electric [GE] a $684 million contract to build and deliver 169 T408-GE-400 (T408) turboshaft engines for CH-53K King Stallion heavy lift helicopters bound for the Navy and Israel
The announcement noted the engines are separated into 65 full-rate production Lot 8 engines divided into 54 for the Navy and 11 for Israel, 51 full-rate production Lot 7 engines divided into 39 for the Navy and 12 for Israel, and 53 low-rate initial production Lot 6 engines divided into 36 for the Navy and 17 for Israel.
The order also includes associated engine and logistical support. The work will occur at the company’s Lynn, Mass. facility and is expected to be finished by June 2027.
The contract was not competitively procured in accordance with federal acquisition regulations with only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements, the Navy said.
In December, the Navy said the CH-53K was ready for full-rate production and expects to eventually increase production to over 20 aircraft per year (Defense Daily, Jan. 3).
The King Stallion is built by Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin [LMT] company. It aims to succeed the legacy CH-53E model with almost three times the lift capacity. Each CH-53K is powered by three GE engines.
Last year, the Israeli Air Force signed a Letter of Acceptance to procure CH-53Ks (Defense Daily, Jan. 2, 2022).
In 2021, the State Department approved a possible $3.4 billion Foreign Military Sale of 18 King Stallions to Israel, to help it replace its legacy CH-53D Yasur helicopter fleet (Defense Daily, July 30, 2021).