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HEAVY METAL THUNDERMarine Corps CH-53E Training During WTI 2-13

report:MattOttesen | photos:MattOttosenunless noted

HEAVY-LIFT HERITAGEThe Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion is a highly capable,heavy-lift helicopter used by today’s US Marine Corps inevery theater of action and in many different roles.Currently the most powerful and largest military

helicopter in US service, the CH-53E can carry over 16tons of cargo or enough Marines for an assault orhumanitarian operation. Alongwith its size, theCH-53Ebringsalongan impressiveperformance capability. Withthe exception of the Lockheed KC-130 Hercules, theCH-53E is powerful enough to lift every aircraft in theMarine Corps’ inventory, and yet it is still small enough

HEAVY METAL THUNDERTraining the Trainers on the Marine Corps' 'Big Iron' During WTI 2-13

First delivered to the US Marine Corps in 1981, the CH-53E Super Stallion has been the Corps' heavy-lift workhorse for over 30 years. Though beginning to show its age, the 'Echo' is still a highly relevantasset, thanks in large part to a constant stream of highly-trained Weapons and Tactics Instructors whokeep the Marine heavy-lift community on the cutting edge of the CH-53's capabilities. Matt Ottosenreports on the training of these instructors during Weapons and Tactics Instructor Course 2-13,conducted at MCAS Yuma, with a look back on the history of the CH-53 in Marine Corps service, as wellas a look forward at the Marines' plans for a follow-up heavy-lift platform.

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to deploy on, and operate from, theUS Navy’s Amphibious Assault Shipsthat carry Marine Expeditionary Units(MEUs).

The history of the Marine Corps’heavy-lift helicopters dates backover 60 years. In September 1951,Marine Helicopter TransportSquadron161 (HMR-161), theCorps’first helicopter transport squadron,flew into Pusan, South Korea, with 15Sikorsky HRS-1s (known as the H-19Chickasaw in Army and Air Forceservice). The HRS-1s could carry upto 2400 lbs of cargo, or eight combatloaded Marines. Later that month,during Operation Windmill I, thesquadron conducted history’s firstmass helicopter resupply mission.During the course of 28 flights, theytransported almost 19,000 lbs ofgear to the 2nd Battalion, 1stMarineson the front lines and evacuated 74injuredMarines. Aweek later, duringOperation Summit, HMR-161conducted the first combat troopmovement by transporting 224Marines from the 1st MarineDivision's reconnaissance company,andover 17,000 lbs of supplies to thepeak of a remote hilltop. InSeptember 1952, after becoming thefirst helicopter squadron to deploytroops into combat, HMR-161successfully flew from the USS Sicily(CVE-118) to test the new concept ofcombining a vertical air assault withan amphibious assault, a tactic chichthe Corps still uses today to moveinfantry from ship to shore.

Despite their accomplishments withthe HRS-1, theMarines soon realizedthey could only do so much with itslimited capabilities. In 1951, anorder was placed for the SikorskyHR2S-1 (known as the CH-37Mojavein Army service), Sikorsky's firsttwin-engine helicopter and one thatpromised greatly increasedperformanceandcargo capacity. The

first prototype flew in 1953, andproduction deliveries began in 1956.The HR2S-1 would be the MarineCorps’ first heavy-lift helicopter. Atthe time, the HR2S-1/CH-37A wasthe largest helicopter in the USmilitary. With its two radial enginesmounted in outboard pods, thefuselage was left free for internalpayloads, which could be easilyloaded and unloaded throughclamshell doors in the nose. TheHR2S-1 could carry an internalpayload of three M422 ‘Mighty Mite’Jeeps, 26 combat loaded Marines, 24stretchers, or a combination of up to9,500 lbs. Alternatively, it could carryan externally slung load of 10,000lbs. To helpmaximize thelimited hangarspace aboard navalships, the mainrotor blades had theability to fold to therear and the tailrotor mast foldedforward. In 1962when the militaryadopted uniforma i r c r a f tdesignations, theHR2S-1 became theCH-37C Deuce.

BIRTH OF APUREBREDIn 1962, to furtheraugment its air andamphibious assaultcapabilities with ah e a v y - l i f thelicopter, the USNavy's Bureau ofNaval Weaponsissued a request forHeavy HelicopterE x p e r i m e n t a l ,abbreviated as HH

(X). The specifications required it tobeable to carry an8000 lb loadat150knots over an operational radius of100 miles. The HH(X) was to be usedin the assault and personneltransport, aircraft recovery, andmedical evacuation roles. Sikorskywas awarded the contract in July1962, beating out Boeing/Vertol andtheir modified CH-47 Chinook. TheSikorsky S-65wasdeveloped in 1964and received themilitary designationCH-53A Sea Stallion. Delivery ofproductionCH-53Asstarted in1966.The CH-53A arrived in Vietnam inJanuary 1967 and proved useful,eventually recovering more downedaircraft than the purpose designed

Seen at NAF El Centro, this rear view of a SuperStallion clearly shows off the angled tail rotordesign that was introduced with the "E" variant ofthe CH-53. photo: Dave Shields

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Sikorsky CH-54 Tarhe (better knownas the Skycrane). In 1968, upgradesand modifications were made to thepowerplant, resulting in theCH-53D.

EVOLUTION OF THESUPER STALLIONThe current variant of the venerableCH-53 is the CH-53E Super Stallion,often times simply referred to as the'Echo', and it is the largest andheaviest helicopter currently in theUS military's inventory. The CH-53Eis nearly 100 feet long and has threeGeneral Electric T64-GE-416turboshaft engines that produce4380 shaft horsepower each for acombined total of over 13,000 shafthorsepower. The three enginesprovide power to a seven bladed, 79-foot diameter main rotor and a fourbladed tail rotor angled 20 degreesfrom vertical. In addition tocounteracting main rotor torque, theEcho's canted tail design alsocontributes a small amount of liftduring hover. The CH-53E has beenoperating with the Marines since1981 and today is tasked withcarrying a variety of equipment butmore commonly is called upon tohaul up to 55 combat loadedMarinesas well as supplies for ground forcesengaged in operations all around theworld.

TRAININGTHETRAINERSIn Marine Corps service, the Echo isnormally operated by a crew of five –a pilot, a copilot, a crew chief/waistgunner, a secondwaist gunner, and atail gunner. All Marine CH-53E pilotsand gunners complete their typeconversion training with MarineHeavy Helicopter Training Squadron302 (HMHT-302) “Phoenix” atMarine

Corps Air Station New River, NorthCarolina. While HMHT-302 is wherestudents learn the basics ofoperating the Marines’ heaviesthelicopter, it is in their fleet unitswhere they will learn how tomaximize the CH-53E’s extensivecapabilities in support of Marines onthe ground. Responsibility for thisunit-level training rests on theshoulders of the heavy-liftcommunity’s Weapons and TacticsInstructors, also known as WTIs.WTIs are graduates of the Weaponsand Tactics Instructors Course (alsoknown asWTI) run byMarine AviationWeapons and Tactics Squadron One(MAWTS-1) twice a year at MarineCorps Air Station (MCAS) Yuma.

During WTI training, the corepurpose of MAWTS-1’s CH-53Esyllabus is to train the trainers whokeep the Corps’ CH-53E pilots andaircrews on the cutting edge ofcurrent tactics. Colonel BradfordGering, MAWTS-1’s CommandingOfficer, explains, “we continue todevelop [Marine aviatiors] as subject

matter experts in their particularprofession, we develop them astacticians, we develop them asinstructors, and we develop them asplanners and integrators ofeverything that Marine Aviation isable to do for theMAGTF (Marine Air-Ground Task Force) and the JointForce.” The Marines attending WTIgraduate after a seven-week courseand earn the designation as aWeapons and Tactics Instructor. ColGering continues, “In turn, they goback to their respective units andthey train the units. Basically, whatwe do here is we train the trainer.”

Captain Nate Early is a CH-53Einstructor pilot with MAWTS-1, andkindly took time to discuss some keypoints about the CH-53E and thetraining they do during WTI at MCASYuma. When asked about the role ofthe Echo in Marine Corps service,Capt Early told SoAR, “Today we aretaskedwith carrying any and all typesof equipment within our weightrestrictions. Most commonly it issupplies for ground forces that

Seen during an HA/DR exercise for WTI 2-13 at Kiwanis Park in Yuma,AZ, this CH-53E's third engine can just be seen below and to the rightof the main rotor hub in this head on view of the helicopter.

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cannot safely travel along the roadsdue to IEDs (Improvised ExplosiveDevices). In Afghanistan we haverecovered 2-4 aircraft per year thatwere broken down in the field.” TheEcho is truly a heavy hauler, CaptEarly said, “The max weight for aCH-53E sling load is 36,000 lbs withthe aircraft stripped of non-essentialparts and minimal fuel. Realisticallywe can carry 20,000 lbs on a routinebasis. There are no performancelimitations during externaloperations except slightly slowerairspeeds. A unique characteristic ofthe CH-53E is that when carryinginternal cargo we are usually limitedby space in the cabin, but whencarrying external cargo they are onlylimited by weight.”

HEAVY HAULINGAlong with transporting weapons,fuel bladders, heavy equipment, evenvehicles and downed aircraft, theCH-53E is primarily tasked with theinsertion and recovery of Marineinfantry. For missions involvingconventional insertion, in which thehelicopters will set down in a landingzone (LZ) to offload troops, up to 55combat-equipped Marines can becarried. In caseswhere such landingsare not possible, the CH-53E has theability to insert Marines using atechnique known as fast-roping.Fast-roping is a tactical insertiontechnique where infantry or otherpersonnel exit the helicopter bysliding down a large rope while thehelicopter maintains a stable hoverjust above the ground. Capt Earlyexplained that during fast-ropeinsertion, “We are limited to carrying24 Marines per aircraft, and they can[only] go down the rope one at a time.The scenario that would most likelybe used for fast-roping would beonto a roof top or a ship. It is atechnique that was developed for

puttingpersonnel intoplaceswhere ahelicopter could not land.” With theCH-53E being capable of performingas many different missions as it is,WTI students in the CH-53E trackstay extremely busy in both theclassroom and in the air, learning themost current tactics and techniques,and then getting the chance toexecute them.

Most of the flights during WTItraining are to validate that aprospective Weapons and TacticsInstructor is ready to teach a certaintactic or technique. Two suchcompetencies are sling-loadoperations and aerial gunnery, bothof which SoAR had the opportunity towitness firsthand during WTI 2-13.Onboard an “Echo” using the call signMETAL 47, SoAR road along during amulti-aircraft sling-load exercise.This mission was originallyscheduled for seven CH-53Es, butwas reduced to five when two aircrafthad maintenance problems prior tothe start of the exercise. The flightheaded northwest from MCAS Yuma

towards the Chocolate MountainAerial Gunnery Range in California,where they conducted an assaultsupport insertion of two 155 mm,M777 howitzers, ammo, and theirassociated personnel. This was insupport of an artillery raid exercisebeing conducted by the US MarineCorps artillerymen from the 2ndBattalion, 10th Marines. While WTI isa course intended primarily for theaviation community, ground unitsparticipate in order to give aircrewsexperience in working with Marinesin the same types of operationsthey’d be executing in the fleet; withthe groundunits similarly benefittingfrom working with air units. ColGering explains, “Our heavy-liftcommunity, our CH-53s, we actuallypick up those howitzers andwemovethem and we’ll put them in otherlocations and they’ll set-up andbecome fire-capable and support agiven evolution or exercise.” CaptEarly went into further detail, “A sixman team (from a Combat LogisticsBattalion) is required to rig the

Just lifting off with this 155mm howitzer during WTI 2-13, a SuperStallion demonstrates its ability to precisely deliver weapons andsupplies that are critical for today's warfighter.

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howitzer for external operations.The gun team is usually 12 men thatare required for shooting.” Once atthe LZ, two CH-53Es lined up behindthe two howitzers. The helicoptersthen had their lifting hooks preparedto receive the Aerial Delivery Slings(ADS). While the aircrews preparedtheir aircraft to carry the externalloads, the Combat Logistics Battalionrigged the howitzers for externaltransportation. One at a time, thetwohelicopters lifted off andhoveredabove their respective howitzerswhile each ground team attached theADS and subsequently cleared thearea. With their area cleared, eachhelicopter lifted its load and hauled itto the designated location for theartillery raid. After delivering thehowitzers, the CH-53s returned tothe LZ and waited for the call to headback and retrieve the howitzers andMarines.

A TACTICAL PIT STOPBefore returning to MCAS Yuma,METAL 47 made a planned, NASCARstyle, pitstop to refuel at a ForwardArming and Refueling Point (FARP). AFARP is a temporary, forward locatedpoint where combat aircraft arerapidly refueled and rearmed. The

men and women manning FARPs aretypically from a Marine Wing SupportSquadron (MWSS), a type of unittasked with aviation ground support.The crews manning this FARP werefrom Marine Wing Support Squadron374 (MWSS 374) “Rhinos” based outof Marine Corps Air Ground CombatCenter (MCAGCC) Twentynine Palms,California. This particular FARP hadthree fuel trucksandMarines ready torefuel multiple aircraft at one time.When the aircraft arrived at the FARP,the enlisted aircrewwoulddisembarkthe aircraft to help with the refueling,only the twopilots remain onboard tomonitor the engines and systems ofthe idling aircraft. Each CH-53E wasassigned a specific FARP arrival timesuch that aircraft were refueledthroughout the training exercise,with the refueling process lastingabout 20 minutes for each aircraft.Not only are the CH-53s able toutilize FARPs in tactical scenarios,but they are also capable of haulingfuel bladders to FARP sites to conductground refueling of other aircraft.

This particular training mission wasalso scheduled to include fast-

During a pre-planned refueling stop at the FARP, this CH-53E is hot-refueled during what is essentially a Nascar style pit-stop. With theengines still running, helicopters and aircraft can be refueled andrearmed at forward located FARPs.

Approaching the Yodaville complex, two CH-53E Super Stallionsexecute evasive maneuvers in preparation for aerial gunnery trainingwhere the waist and tail gunners will engage both moving and statictargets on the ground.

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roping from different altitudes, but due to maintenanceissues with multiple aircraft, the fast-roping portion wasscrubbed and the entire flight returned to MCAS Yumaearly.

RUNNIN' AND GUNNIN'SoAR also had the opportunity to observe aerial gunnerytraining as part of the WTI CH-53E syllabus, this timeflying in “METAL 41”. This exercise took two CH-53Es toYodaville, an Urban Target Complex a few milessoutheast of MCAS Yuma on the Barry M. GoldwaterRange, where they conducted aerial gunnery training.According toCapt Early, “METAL41was conducting aerialgunnery training for the enlisted aircrew. The purposewas qualifying aerial gunnery instructors.” The Yodavillefacility was designed as an urban close air support (CAS)target complex built to provide a realistic simulation ofurban or built up areas for Marine aviation units to trainon, and it was the first urban CAS range in the USmilitary.The CH-53E has three 0.50 caliber, GAU-15/A, machineguns for self-protection: two up front in the windows justaft of the cockpit and one mounted on the helicopter'srear cargo deck. The first target engaged by METAL 41’sgunners was a moving target being pulled 100 feet

behind a full-scale,remote controlledpickup truck. After sixpasses on the movingtarget, the gunnerstransitioned to firing onYodaville itself. Thisflight gave the enlistedaircrew aerial targetpractice from a movinghelicopter, an essentialskill needed to helpprotect the aircraft inhostile environments.Capt Early said, “Bothaircraft wereconducting the sametraining. It is importantto train as a flight oftwo, because that is theway we typicallyoperate.”

In addition to trainingfor combat missions,WTI students must also

train for non-combat missions, such as evacuations orhumanitarian operations, of which the heavy-liftcommunity is routinely called upon to perform whendeployed in fleet operations. The Marines have beenusing Kiwanis Park in Yuma, Arizona for many years toconduct two-ship helicopter training missions, whichsimulate real-world scenarios, such as theNoncombatant Evacuation Training Exercise used to trainMarines for Noncombatant Evacuation Operations(NEOs). In January 1991, CH-53s were part of OperationEastern Exit, the NEO that helped rescue 281 civiliansfrom the American Embassy in Mogadishu, Somalia.During WTI 2-13, the Marines used Kiwanis Park for aHumanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief (HA/DR)exercise to practice the delivery of medical personnel,supplies and vital natural resources to help sustainpeople displaced from their communities after a naturaldisaster. Following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake andtsunami, the Marine Corps took part in a HA/DRassistance operation to support Japan in humanitarianassistance and disaster relief. TheMarine contribution tothe relief effort, designated Operation Tomodachi,includedCH-53s from the31stMarine ExpeditionaryUnit(31st MEU) operating from the Navy’s forward-deployed

Just outside of the Yodaville complex, this CH-53E waist gunner engages a movingtarget with a 0.50 calibermachine gun during an aerial gunnery training evolution, aspart of WTI 2-13.

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amphibious assault ship, the USS Essex. The 31st MEU delivered more than 164,000 lbs of food and supplies to fivecities, one island, and one Japanese ship. The operation also included Marines from Combat Logistics Regiment 37,3rd Marine Logistics Group and Romeo Battery, 5th Battalion, 10th Marines.

The introduction of the Bell/BoeingMV-22Osprey, which has both a longer range and a stronger rotor downwash thanthe CH-46 it is replacing, has meant that Kiwanis Park, with its close proximity to MCAS Yuma and abundant treesand residential areas surrounding it, is no longer an ideal location for the NEO mission to be practiced. As such,MAWTS-1 has moved the NEO training mission to Twentynine Palms, California.

LOOKING TOWARDS THE FUTUREThe Marines still rely heavily on their CH-53Es, but as SoAR observed with the fast-rope training that was aborteddue to mechanical problems, the helicopters are wearing out. Over the years, CH-53s have been recalled fromthe 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) “The Boneyard” at Davis-Monthan AFB inTucson, Arizona in order to maintain fleet numbers in the face of recent losses and forced retirements. NowAMARG has now exhausted the last of its flyable spares. On average, existing CH-53Es are becoming more andmore of a maintenance challenge with a 44:1 maintenance man-hours:flight hours ratio resulting in anapproximate cost of $20,000 per flight-hour. Currently, the Heavy-Lift Replacement (HLR) program, now knownas the Sikorsky CH-53K, aims to offer notable performance improvements over the CH-53E, while in a similar,but slightly larger airframe.

As of June 2013, the Sikorsky aircraft Corporation had delivered two System Development and Demonstration (SDD)CH-53K aircraft; the Ground Test Vehicle and the Static Test Vehicle, and the prototype’s first flight is expected inlate 2014. The Marines are scheduled to begin their CH-53K operational evaluation by the end of March 2017, withInitial Operational Capability scheduled for 2019. Until the CH-53K comes on-line in sufficient numbers, the CH-53Ewill remain the backbone of the Marine Corps’ heavy-lift capability, and that community will continue to require asteady stream of Weapons and Tactics Instructors to keep its pilots and aircrews operating the aircraft at the cuttingedge of its capabilities, ensuring that the Marines on the ground get the support they need. To this end, MAWTS-1will play a vital role in keep the Echo relevant in Marine service until its replacement arrives, which, at that time,MAWTS-1 will develop and implement a WTI track for as well.

SoAR would like to thank the following for their support on thisarticle: Capt Nate Early, MAWTS-1, and MCAS Yuma Public Affairs.