The US Marine Corps (KMP) has used its new heavy helicopter for the first time in a non-medical mission. Yesterday, September 12, the portal thedrive.com He reported that the CH-53K King Stallion evacuated the MH-60S helicopter, which made a hard landing in the mountains.
MH-60S Seahawk of the US Navy with four people on board made an emergency landing on a high mountain ridge near the city of Bishop, California. The crew was not injured and was evacuated, and the damaged helicopter remained at an altitude of about 3600 m.
MH-60S Seahawk after a hard landing
Image source: thedrive.com
The USMC has developed a plan for transporting the damaged MH-60S with minimal disassembly. When assembled, the Seahawk weighs almost 7 tons, while the CH-53K is capable of carrying up to 16 tons on an external suspension.
Evacuation of MH-60S on the external suspension of the CH-53K
Image source: thedrive.com
The CH-53K King Stallion is a heavy transport helicopter with a maximum take-off weight of almost 40 tons. The car is capable of carrying over 13 tons of cargo on an external suspension, and its internal compartment can accommodate up to 55 passengers. The helicopter crew consists of two to five people-in addition to the pilots, three shooters can be included in its composition, providing circular protection.