Well I've watching this one for years now just to see it get to this point but, as JANE's is reporting CH-53K will reach
Initial Operating Capability or IOC in 2019 but as I pointed out with the
F-35B this really means nothing. The important factor is in achieving
Full Operating Capability or FOC and that unfortunately won't be until 2029. The
CH-53K has paralleled the
F-35 program in many ways with technological, material, testing etc. delays and another factor is related. Simply they're the design is from the ground up and these example completely new airframes. And allowing for inflation,
actually costs more then the F-35A.
http://www.defensenews.com/articles/...f-ch-53k-costs
Oh I hear you, well what about the
AH-1Z VIPER or the
UH-1Y VENOM how did they reach
FOC so fast? The answer is one of the easiest response to any question I've faced out here, simply speaking, architecturally the airframes were already available just somewhat modified for both. Very few as compared the total number to be manufactured were brand new airframes but mostly modified existing ones. It does both save time and money by using a known
operational and battle tested airframe.
We've already had to push
FOC back a couple of times for the
F-35 and I suspect it'll have to be done at least once more by a year or two. That being said, it'll still get in the game by 2020. But for this helicopter it just doesn't bode well when that date is four years past game end time. And
very rarely do these issues go backwards in time, though 2029 would be a conservative guess by and let's not fool ourselves in thinking it comes from anywhere other then
NAVAIR.
I've invested a fair amount of time with this project and will continue to watch it but, I can't say it looks good for the
CH-53K right at this time. And most know there's no bigger "vocal" advocate for these in the game or in their play-ability within it.
That hasn't changed.
Here's the ref./the next is also a "fresh" story on the F-35 they hit a "milestone" and wait to you see what it was you might just go...huh!?!
http://www.janes.com/article/69314/c...yment-decision
https://www.flightglobal.com/news/ar...n-seat-435792/
FOC is in
no way any different in meaning than Fielded/or Fielding is to land equipment either in this game or the real world.
Regards,
Pat
