The CH-53K King Stallion heavy lift helicopter has recently entered Full Rate Production (FRP) following a decision review by the Acting Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition.
This allows the program to proceed beyond Low Rate Initial Production and increase procurement quantities, gaining production efficiencies and reducing unit costs.
FRP is a significant milestone in the development of the CH-53K, as it indicates that the aircraft has successfully passed various evaluations and analyses, including Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E), Live Fire Test and Evaluation, production readiness reviews, and affordability analyses.
The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is on schedule to declare Full Operational Capability (FOC) for the CH-53K King Stallion heavy lift helicopter in 2029. The USMC has been working towards FOC for the CH-53K for several years, and the recent decision to enter Full Rate Production (FRP) is an important milestone in this process.
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