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United States Lockheed Martin
CH-53K King Stallion
Heavy-lift helicopter built by Sikorsky (a Lockheed Martin company) for the U.S. Marine Corps, nearly triple the external lift capacity of its predecessor while fitting the same shipboard footprint.
In service since 2022 · 1 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
315
km/h
852
km range
4,570
m ceiling
💲 ≈ $87,000,000 — Approximate flyaway unit cost
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
US ITAR-controlled
Export needs U.S. State Dept (DDTC) approval; end-use & re-transfer restrictions apply.
Channel: Foreign Military Sales (FMS) or Direct Commercial Sale
Fielded & proven
Limited · 1 operator
In service since 2022. Status: active · ~30 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
$218M – $305M
Acquisition is only ~30% of lifecycle cost — operating & support dominate over ~30 yrs. Rough 2.5–3.5× the unit price.
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Max speed
Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.
- 315 km/h Stronger than 81% of helicopters
- Cruise speed
Sustained economical speed. Determines transit time to station.
- 259 km/h Stronger than 45% of helicopters
- Range
Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.
- 852 km Stronger than 81% of helicopters
- Service ceiling
Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.
- 4,570 m Stronger than 22% of helicopters
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 30.2 m
- Height
Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles.
- 8.46 m
- Empty weight
Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.
- 15,036 kg
- Combat weight
Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.
- 33,300 kg
- Crew
Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.
- 5
- Cargo payload
Maximum cargo the transport can carry. Higher means more lift per sortie.
- 15,876 kg
- Troop capacity
Number of embarked troops/passengers (IFV, APC, transport). Higher carries more.
- 30 Stronger than 82% of helicopters
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
- Engine
Powerplant model and type.
- General Electric T408-GE-400 turboshaft
- Engines
Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost.
- 3
- Engine power
Engine output power. Higher moves more weight faster.
- 7,500 hp Top 4% of helicopters
- Propulsion type
Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…
- Turboshaft
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Unit cost
Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper.
- $87,000,000 Bottom 4% of helicopters
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 30 Stronger than 13% of helicopters
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 1 Stronger than 18% of helicopters
Specifications compiled from public Lockheed Martin and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
Compare with rivals
See how it stacks up
Frequently asked questions
What is the top speed of the Lockheed Martin CH-53K King Stallion? +
The Lockheed Martin CH-53K King Stallion has a maximum speed of 315 km/h.
What is the range of the Lockheed Martin CH-53K King Stallion? +
The Lockheed Martin CH-53K King Stallion has a maximum range of 852 km.
How much does the Lockheed Martin CH-53K King Stallion weigh? +
The Lockheed Martin CH-53K King Stallion has a combat weight of 33,300 kg.
How many crew does the Lockheed Martin CH-53K King Stallion require? +
The Lockheed Martin CH-53K King Stallion requires a crew of 5.
What engine does the Lockheed Martin CH-53K King Stallion use? +
The Lockheed Martin CH-53K King Stallion is powered by the General Electric T408-GE-400 turboshaft.
How many countries operate the Lockheed Martin CH-53K King Stallion? +
The Lockheed Martin CH-53K King Stallion is operated by 1 countries.
How much does the Lockheed Martin CH-53K King Stallion cost? +
The Lockheed Martin CH-53K King Stallion has an approximate unit cost of 87,000,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration — treat this as directional.
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