February 26, 2021
Putting all speculation to rest, Israel’s Defense Ministry has finally picked the Lockheed Martin CH-53K ‘King Stallion’ heavy-lift helicopter for the country’s military. It was not an easy choice given that there was a strong contender in the form of the Boeing CH-47 Chinook transport chopper.
The announcement comes three days after Israel finalized the procurement of two KC-46A Tankers from Boeing. The Jewish country is also planning to buy additional F-35I Adir fifth-generation stealth aircraft. These procurements are part of a larger effort to modernize the Israeli Air Force.
The procurement of the Sikorsky CH-53K ‘King Stallion’ will make the Israel Defense Forces the first foreign customer for the aircraft, which was originally developed for the US Marine Corps.
Israel Picks Lockheed’s CH-53K as its Next Heavy-lift Helicopter Our Bureau 1611
U.S. Marine Corps CH-53K King Stallion
The Israel Ministry of Defense has announced it has chosen to buy Lockheed Martin’s CH-53K helicopters over Boeing’s CH-47 Chinook aircraft.
The new heavy-lift chopper will replace Israel’s CH-53D Sea Stallion Yasur helicopters that it has been using from over five decades.
In a statement, the ministry said: “The decision was made following a professional assessment that included test flights in all the proposed aircraft, as well as a thorough examination of the various alternatives in terms of engineering, technology, maintenance and other considerations. All details, including the number of helicopters requested, will be brought to the approval of the Ministerial Committee for Procurement as soon as possible.”