Marine Corps: Most issues from Pentagon reports on CH-53K fixed, headed for 2019 IOC

The Marine Corps and Sikorsky are confident they can meet the 2019 initial operational capability goal for the CH-53K heavy-lift helicopter program, and estimate that 50 percent or more of previously reported issues have been fixed and retested, according to the program manager.

Inside the Navy previously reported that two Pentagon offices have found it unlikely the Marine Corps can meet that 2019 goal because of various issues being worked out. Asked about those reports, Col. Henry Vanderborght, H-53 program manager, told reporters today there is a lag time between those offices concluding their evaluations and publishing their work.

Those reports show data from "six to nine months ago. Probably about 50-plus percent of those [issues] have already been fixed and re-tested," he said.

"Our current metrics all show our current status to the 2019 [IOC]," Vanderborght said. He did concede that there is "still some work to do" but said most of those issues are being corrected.

Further, Vanderborght said there is still some "risk" left in the program in terms of meeting the IOC goal, but added the Marine Corps has not scheduled the CH-53K's first deployment until the 2023-2024 time frame. "That time beyond 2019 was always envisioned to be scheduled margin for the program," he said.

During the same briefing alongside Vanderborght, Michael Torok, vice president of Marine Corps systems and services at Sikorsky, added the program has completed its discovery testing where further issues would be found.