The Marines' New CH-53K Helicopter Isn't Allowed To Spend More Than 70 Seconds In A Dust Cloud
There are major concerns that serious engine issues could crop up after 21 minutes of cumulative exposure to these brownout conditions.
By Joseph Trevithick and Thomas Newdick March 2, 2021
The War Zone
The U.S. Marine Corps is currently significantly limiting the amount of time its new CH-53K King Stallion heavy-lift helicopter can spend flying in dust clouds or so-called brownout conditions of the kind often experienced in sandy and dusty environments. The service is meanwhile taking measures to address concerns about degrading engine performance after 21 minutes of exposure to these conditions across any number of successive sorties, which threatens to seriously impact the helicopter’s planned mission spectrum.
The issues came to light in the most recent annual Director Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) report, which you find in full here, and the U.S. Navy — whose Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) oversees the CH-53K program on behalf of the Marine Corps — has since confirmed to The War Zone that these problems are ongoing.
U.S. Marine Corps/Lance Cpl. Molly Hampton
“The Developmental Test report published on September 10, 2020, indicates engine performance degrades below acceptable minimums after 21 minutes of exposure to brownout conditions,†DOT&E’s report, published in January, stated regarding the CH-53K. “The aircraft’s operating manual limits permissible engine exposure to brownout during a maneuver to 70 seconds.â€
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/39528/the-marines-new-ch-53k-helicopter-isnt-allowed-to-spend-more-than-70-seconds-in-a-dust-cloud
