Israel Orders CH-53K Helicopters for $372M

The Israel Ministry of Defense has placed an order for four new CH-53K heavy-lift helicopters for $372 million.

In a statement today, the U.S. Department of Defense said this modification contract covers an option for the production and delivery of four low-rate initial production, Lot 6, CH-53K Heavy Lift aircraft, as well as associated aircraft programmatic and logistical support for the government of Israel.

Work is expected to be completed in November 2025.

The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

In July 2021, the U.S. State Department approved the sale of 18 CH-53K King Stallion helicopters worth $3.4 billion to Israel. The Israel MoD in February last year announced that it chose CH-53K as its next heavy-lift helicopter, over Boeing’s CH-47 Chinook. The new chopper will replace the country’s five decades-old CH-53D Sea Stallion Yasur helicopter.