Marine CH-53E fleet to undergo maintenance reset

In an effort to keep the CH/MH-53E fleet flying until the CH-53K enters service in 2019 the Marines have announced that the entire fleet will undergo a 100 day maintenence program designed to overhaul the aircraft and bring readiness rates up.

The Stallion has the lowest readiness rate of the Marine aircraft fleet. In the last 13 years, they have flown 95,000 combat hours, with 14 losses. Seven of those to training accidents. Due to readiness levels being so low pilots are having a hard time getting flight hours.

It's estimated that it will take 3 years to overhaul all 140 aircraft, at a rate of 48 a year.

www.flightglobal.com...

a reply to: Zaphod58

Money? As of late, can they afford this?

a reply to: Bigburgh

Do they have a choice?

I am in the rotor community for the Navy. I fly in MH-60s, but have many friends that fly in 53s. I hope the Kilo version fixes a lot of problems because that is a sh** aircraft. Their motto is "if it's not leaking, it's broke." I knew a few people (not very well, however) that died by balling up the aircraft due to poor maintenance and system failures. One was in Virginia Beach.

Working where I am stationed now, I can tell you that the military has more money than they let on (at least on the navy side, and the marine corps is part of the navy).

They just usually go with the typical save money by whatever means necessary. Cut corners, use less people and make them do more work, extend working hours etc.

The 53 squadrons in the navy (there is only 2) have lost so many crewmen it's ridiculous. Most of them are quitting and changing rates, which goes to show that people are terrified to fly in those death traps.

a reply to: qiwi676


With something so big and powerful plowing it's way through the air cutting corners costs lives. With officers always gunning for promotion it doesn't help.

Safety stand down, happens all the time, we went Six months with the Harriers, back in 99 or so. And several Before and after a week or two at a time.

a reply to: 38181

This goes far beyond that. They're doing Depot level repairs and basically rebuilding the aircraft. And only a few at a time.

True, I feel sorry for the non-nco's, their going to be sick of sweeping and swabbing the hangar decks...

a reply to: 38181

Oh god yes. You can always tell when a Marine -53 was in the Depot. They're Grey, not black from exhaust and leaking fluids.