The Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion is a heavy lift helicopter operated by the United States military.

The Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion, which has new engines, new composite rotor blades, and a wider aircraft cabin, is set to replace the CH-53E and enter service in the 2020s.

[4] The U.S. Air Force's HH-53B/C "Super Jolly Green Giant" was for special operations and combat rescue, and was first deployed during the Vietnam War.

The Air Force's MH-53H/J/M Pave Low helicopters were the last of the twin-engined H-53s and were equipped with extensive avionics upgrades for all-weather operation.

In October 1967, the US Marine Corps issued a requirement for a helicopter with a lifting capacity 1.8 times that of the CH-53D that would fit on amphibious warfare ships.

Before the issue of the requirement, Sikorsky had been working on an enhancement to the CH-53D, under the company designation "S-80", featuring a third turboshaft engine and a more powerful rotor system.

The Marines liked the idea, since it promised to deliver a good solution quickly, and funded the development of a testbed helicopter for evaluation.

[6] Prototype testing investigated the addition of a third engine and a larger rotor system with a seventh blade in the early 1970s.

[6] YCH-53E testing showed that it could lift 17.8 short tons (16.1 t) (to a 50-foot (15 m) wheel height), and without an external load, could reach 170 knots (310 km/h) at a 56,000 lb (25 t) gross weight.

It is capable of lifting heavy equipment, including the eight-wheeled LAV-25 light armored vehicle and the M198 155 mm Howitzer with ammunition and crew.

The MH-53E digital flight-control system includes features specifically designed to help tow minesweeping gear.

It is a Containerized Flight Training Device (CFTD) built by Lockheed Martin, Sikorsky's parent company.

[18] On 22 April 2022, Lt. General Mark R. Wise, Deputy Commandant for Aviation, declared initial operational capability for the CH-53K.

It can carry three machine guns, one at the starboard side crew door; one at the port window, just behind the copilot; and a firing position on the tail ramp.

[6] The MH-53E features enlarged side-mounted fuel sponsons, and is rigged for towing various minesweeping and hunting gear from above the dangerous naval mines.

Its digital flight-control system includes features specifically designed to help towing minesweeping gear.

[6] In addition, the CH-53E has been upgraded to include the helicopter night vision system, improved .50 BMG (12.7 mm) GAU-21/A and M3P machine guns, and AAQ-29A forward-looking infrared imager.

[citation needed] Another heavy lift helicopter family is the CH-47 Chinook, which has a twin-tandem rotor configuration, with two engines.

On 23 October 1983, a truck bomb detonated by terrorists destroyed the Marine barracks in Beirut, killing nearly 240 service members as they slept.

In 1991, two CH-53Es, along with several CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters, were sent to evacuate U.S. and foreign nationals from the U.S. embassy in Mogadishu, Somalia—Operation Eastern Exit—as violence enveloped the city during the Somalian Civil War.

The long-range capability of the CH-53Es enabled Marines to establish a southern base in Afghanistan, putting the war on the ground.

During that time, its rate of class A mishaps, meaning serious damage or loss of life, was 5.96 per 100,000 flight hours, more than twice the Navy helicopter average of 2.26.

[49] A 2005 lawsuit alleged that since 1993, at least 16 in-flight fires or thermal incidents involved the number-two engine on Super Stallion helicopters.

[50][51] Data from U.S. Navy history,[87] International Directory,[5] World Aircraft[88]General characteristics Performance Armament The documentary Who Killed Lt. Van Dorn?

examines the 2014 Sea Dragon crash off Cape Henry, Virginia, and the larger maintenance and command problems surrounding the CH-53E fleet.