DOPPELADLER.COM

WASHINGTON, July 30, 2021 - The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Israel of CH-53K Heavy Lift Helicopters with Support and related equipment for an estimated cost of $3.4 billion. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.

The Government of Israel has requested to buy up to eighteen (18) CH-53K Heavy Lift Helicopters; up to sixty (60) T408-GE-400 Engines (54 installed, 6 spares); and up to thirty-six (36) Embedded Global Positioning System/Inertial Navigation Systems (EGI) with Selective Availability/Anti-Spoofing Module (SAASM). Also included is communication equipment; GAU-21 .50 caliber Machine Guns; Mission Planning System; facilities study, design and construction; spare and repair parts; support and test equipment; publications and technical documentation; aircrew and maintenance training; U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support services; and other related elements of logistics and program support. The total estimated cost is $3.4 billion.

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The US Navy (USN) has contracted Lockheed Martin to build a further eight CH-53K King Stallion heavy-lift helicopters for Israel, the company announced on 24 August.

The Foreign Military Sales (FMS) agreement was part of a wider USD2.7 billion contract for the manufacture of 35 Lot 7 and Lot 8 helicopters to be delivered from 2026 and brings the number now under contract for Israel to 12.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is to field a bespoke ‘exportable variant' of the CH-53K, featuring newly developed country-specific systems and sensors. Israel selected the CH-53K as its replacement for the Sikorsky CH-53D Yasur, opting for the platform over the Boeing CH-47F Chinook and Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey.