Printed from https://fiscalreceipts.com/program/0605212M/ — built September 26, 2026. Every figure is citation-backed; see the page online for per-number provenance.
CH-53K RDTE
Watch this program
Budget figures
FY2026 award data is a partial year — USAspending reports awards on a rolling basis, and this corpus runs through 2026-09-04. why partial FY2026 data? →
Budget trajectory
| Fiscal year | Amount |
|---|---|
| FY24 | $154.1M |
| FY25 | $71.4M |
| FY26 | $135.4M |
All series figures: R-1 TOA · PB2026
Decade view
P-1/R-1 workbook TOA basis, shown compact in $B/$M (the workbook records USD thousands); each figure cites its own President's Budget edition
The vertical scale does not start at zero: the baseline sits just below this program’s smallest year, so a low point on this line is not a small amount. Read the shape for direction and the grid below for the figures.
● actuals (line) · ○ enacted · ◇ request — gaps are editions the program is absent from, never interpolated.
| Series | FY17 | FY18 | FY19 | FY20 | FY21 | FY22 | FY23 | FY24 | FY25 | FY26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Actuals | $0 | $0 | $383.6M | $489.7M | $392.4M | $212.2M | $213.6M | $154.1M | ||
| Enacted | – | $0 | $336.9M | $507.0M | $406.4M | $256.9M | $220.2M | $222.3M | $71.4M | |
| Request | – | – | $326.9M | $517.0M | $406.4M | $256.9M | $220.2M | $222.3M | $86.1M | $135.4M |
blank = series not published for this year; – = absent from that edition.
Asked vs spent: the PB2024 book requested $222.3M for FY2024; the PB2026 book reported $154.1M as actual total obligation authority — $68.2M below the request. 154.1 − 222.3 = -68.2 USD millions — the compact figures above are rounded for reading.
Program lineage
No predecessor/successor lineage was recorded for this program element — no FY-to-FY transfer into or out of this line was stated in the ingested J-books, and none was inferred from the program structure.
Description
Mission — CH-53K
The CH-53K is a next generation fly by wire heavy-lift helicopter that provides significant improvements in range, payload, performance, cargo handling, turn-around times, reliability, maintainability, interoperability and survivability. It is the only marinized heavy-lift helicopter in the world and the Department of Defense's only heavy-lift helicopter. The CH-53K mission is to support the Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) Commander by providing assault support transport of heavy equipment, combat troops, and supplies, day or night under all weather conditions during expeditionary, joint, or combined operations. - Provides a greater payload at greater ranges than any current or emerging rotorcraft to support the rapid transition of Joint and Coalition forces from contact to blunt layer activities in a contested environment. - Addresses current connector shortfalls making it a critical enabler in the execution of distributed operations; a key component of the Marine Corps' Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations concept which supports the President's National Security Strategy, the Tri-Service Maritime Strategy and the Navy's Distributed Maritime Operational concept. - Capable of integrating into the current battlefield and taking advantage of future technologies, such as manned/unmanned teaming and MAGTF digital interoperability. - The modern fly by wire system provides greater safety, survivability, and reliability compared to other joint rotorcraft. - When compared to the legacy aircraft, improves reliability and decreases operations and support costs by reducing maintenance man hours per flight hour while maximizing work effectiveness and efficiency. Total aircraft quantities for the CH-53K program are 205 helicopters. This currently includes one Ground Test Vehicle (GTV), four Engineering Development Models (EDMs) for System Development and Demonstration (SDD), and four System Demonstration Test Articles (SDTAs) purchased with Research, Development, Test & Evaluation (RDT&E) funds. The remaining 196 aircraft are funded with Aircraft Procurement, Navy (APN). The CH-53K SDD program received a successful Milestone C decision on 4 April 2017. Initial Operational Test & Evaluation (IOT&E) completed April 2022, Initial Operating Capability (IOC) achieved in May 2022, Full Rate Production (FRP) approved in December 2022. Remaining Project Unit (PU) 3059 funding is required to complete SDD and test activities. PU 3069 began in FY2024 and established the Heavy Lift program's organic test and evaluation efforts and follow-on software development. This effort supports correction of deficiencies for fleet aircraft and developmental test to facilitate Preplanned Product Improvement (P3I) requirements and Reliability & Maintainability initiatives. JUSTIFICATION FOR BUDGET ACTIVITY: This program is funded under SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT AND DEMONSTRATION because it includes those projects that have passed Milestone B approval and are conducting engineering and manufacturing development tasks aimed at meeting validated requirements prior to a full-rate production decision.
Mission — CH-53K Development
The CH-53 is the only marinized heavy-lift helicopter in the world and is the Marine Corps only heavy-lift helicopter. The CH-53 mission is to conduct expeditionary heavy-lift assault transport of armored vehicles, equipment and personnel to support distributed operations deep inland from a sea-based center of operations. The CH-53E "Super Stallion" was introduced into operations in 1980 as an upgrade version of the CH-53D. The CH-53E has developed performance degradation, fatigue life, interoperability, maintenance supportability, and other operational concerns. An improved CH-53 is needed to support Marine Air-Ground Task Force heavy-lift requirements in the 21st century joint environment. The CH-53K "King Stallion" will provide improvements in range and payload, performance, cargo handling, turn-around times, reliability and maintainability, interoperability, and survivability. The CH-53K program is required to provide full system capability, including shipboard compatibilities, at Initial Operational Capability (IOC). Total aircraft quantities for the CH-53K program are 205 helicopters. This currently includes one Ground Test Vehicle (GTV) and four Engineering Development Models (EDMs) for System Development and Demonstration (SDD) purchased with Research, Development, Test & Evaluation (RDT&E) funds. Of the remaining 200 aircraft, four are System Demonstration Test Articles and 196 are funded with APN.
Mission — CH-53K Improvement
CH-53K Improvement is required for the establishment of the Heavy Lift program's organic test and evaluation efforts, software development, and follow-on improvements. Improvements address pre-planned product improvement requirements written into the Capabilities Product Document approved by Joint Requirements Oversight Committee in February 2020. The CH-53K Improvement projects provide near and long term improvements to the fleet, focusing on documented deficiencies related to mission systems, maintainability and reliability, and obsolescence issues.
Justification
No accomplishments or planned-program narratives in this line's J-book detail — some exhibits carry figures without per-project prose.
Budget line items(workbook-cited)
P-1/R-1 workbook Total Obligation Authority basis (USD thousands) · PB2026.
Exhibit R-1
| Account | Org | Type | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Navy | N | FY24 Actuals | $154.1M |
| Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Navy | N | FY25 Enacted | $71.4M |
| Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Navy | N | FY25 Total | $71.4M |
| Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Navy | N | FY26 Disc. Request | $135.4M |
| Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Navy | N | FY26 Total | $135.4M |
Budget Details(R-2/P-40 facts)
J-book detail basis (R-2/P-40, USD millions) · PB2026 — a different accounting basis from the P-1/R-1 workbook TOA above; where the two disagree, the reconciliation strip under Budget figures shows both.
Wider than this screen — swipe the table sideways for the remaining fiscal-year columns.
| Project | All Prior Years | FY24 Actuals | FY25 Total | FY26 Base | FY26 Request |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Program Element | $1.69B | $154.1M | $71.4M | $135.4M | $135.4M |
| 3059: CH-53K Development | $1.69B | $133.1M | $19.7M | $0 | $0 |
| 3069: CH-53K Improvement | $0 | $21.0M | $51.6M | $135.4M | $135.4M |
Follow the dollar
No follow-the-dollar view — this program's awards haven't been crosswalked at high confidence (flows cover 312 of 1,938 programs). why coverage is partial? →
Related awards
Award linkage is shown for 32 of 200 profiled companies — high- and medium-confidence USAspending matches, each row labeled; medium is the weaker evidence. why partial award coverage? →
Rows marked medium rest on evidence weaker than a program-level match, and of more than one kind. An account-based row, where the award drew from the same appropriation account as this program, is an association, not evidence that this program paid for the contract. Where the evidence is instead an FPDS acquisition-program tag or a subaward description, the program is established but which of its budget lines paid is not. An announcement link a recorded review did not leave standing is medium too. Only high rows rest on the contract naming this program with a recorded review upholding it and no recorded rejection or refutation applying.
| Recipient | PIID | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| DAVIS AIRCRAFT PRODUCTS CO., INC. | N0001919C0057 | medium |
| GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY | N0001920F0195 | medium |
| LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION | N0001919F2503 | medium |
| LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION | N0001920F0192 | medium |
| LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION | N0001920F0224 | medium |
| LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION | N0001920F0863 | medium |
| SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATION | N0001917F0042 | medium |
| SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATION | N0001917F0118 | medium |
| SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATION | N0001917F0150 | medium |
| SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATION | N0001917F1618 | medium |
| SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATION | N0001918F0486 | medium |
Contractor concentration
No concentration index is published for this line. This line's high-confidence links do not clear the floor for a published concentration index — at least 3 awards across 2 contractor families holding positive obligations, with positive net linked dollars. An index below that floor is a fact about the sample, not about the market. Whatever further links this line carries are medium-confidence, and what each medium evidence path does and does not establish is set out in the methodology. Both bases are in the downloadable warehouse.
Lobbying mentions
No Senate LDA lobbying filing in the tracked data mentions this program element by code or alias.
Oversight
Department-level designation (not specific to this program)
GAO lists 5 high-risk areas for DOD as a whole. That designation covers the department, not CH-53K RDTE. No program-specific GAO finding for this line is in the ingested data. See the DOD oversight record.
Program dossier
No research dossier for this program — dossiers cover 50 of 1,938 programs, the largest fully J-book-detailed lines by FY2026 requested dollars. why no dossier here? →
Primary sources
Open any budget figure for its exact receipt. Verified line items lead with the highlighted government PDF; original spreadsheets download with their budget edition and exhibit in the filename.
Budget totals · TOA sources
FY2026 Department of Defense Budget: RDT&E Programs (R-1) · comptroller.war.gov
Exhibit R-1 · J405
Complete workbook · unchanged saved copy. Saves as PB2026_DoD_R-1_Research-Development-Test-Evaluation.xlsx.
FY2019 Department of Defense Budget: RDT&E Programs (R-1) · comptroller.war.gov
Exhibit R-1 · J398
Complete workbook · unchanged saved copy. Saves as PB2019_DoD_R-1_Research-Development-Test-Evaluation.xlsx.
FY2020 Department of Defense Budget: RDT&E Programs (R-1) · comptroller.war.gov
Exhibit R-1 · J411
Complete workbook · unchanged saved copy. Saves as PB2020_DoD_R-1_Research-Development-Test-Evaluation.xlsx.
FY2021 Department of Defense Budget: RDT&E Programs (R-1) · comptroller.war.gov
Exhibit R-1 · J421
Complete workbook · unchanged saved copy. Saves as PB2021_DoD_R-1_Research-Development-Test-Evaluation.xlsx.
FY2022 Department of Defense Budget: RDT&E Programs (R-1) · comptroller.war.gov
Exhibit R-1 · J396
Complete workbook · unchanged saved copy. Saves as PB2022_DoD_R-1_Research-Development-Test-Evaluation.xlsx.
FY2023 Department of Defense Budget: RDT&E Programs (R-1) · comptroller.war.gov
Exhibit R-1 · J387
Complete workbook · unchanged saved copy. Saves as PB2023_DoD_R-1_Research-Development-Test-Evaluation.xlsx.
FY2024 Department of Defense Budget: RDT&E Programs (R-1) · comptroller.war.gov
Exhibit R-1 · J386
Complete workbook · unchanged saved copy. Saves as PB2024_DoD_R-1_Research-Development-Test-Evaluation.xlsx.
FY2025 Department of Defense Budget: RDT&E Programs (R-1) · comptroller.war.gov
Exhibit R-1 · J388
Complete workbook · unchanged saved copy. Saves as PB2025_DoD_R-1_Research-Development-Test-Evaluation.xlsx.
Detailed budget justification
The related TOA spreadsheets above use a different accounting basis from R-2/P-40 detail. Their amounts are not assumed to match these detailed sources.
RDTEN BA1-3 Book · www.secnav.navy.mil