CH-53K Air-to-Air Refueling (HAAR) From a KC-130T
Maj. William Li flew his first CH-53K Helicopter Air-to-Air Refueling (HAAR) test flight in December as the aircraft received fuel from a KC-130T. HAAR is crucial for sustaining operations and maintaining a forward presence. The KC-130T recently transitioned from four-bladed propellers to eight-bladed propellers, requiring flight testing for suitability with the CH-53E/K as a receiver.
“Air-to-air refueling can be challenging under less-than-ideal conditions and is a critical core skill to develop,” said Li. “The CH-53K’s flying qualities put our best foot forward, offering increased performance with reduced pilot workload.”
The Marine Corps has a unique integrated air team to support the Marines operating in combined arms operations.
The CH-53K is a major new contributor to the Marine Corps combined arms capability but being able to work with the most advanced C-130 ever built simply expands its operational range and its ability the distributed operations and effects which the Marines are focused on delivering in the evolving battlespace.
The KC-130T has the propeller system.
NP2000 is an eight composite bladed propeller system designed for performance.
According to Raytheon, its composite blades can be removed individually without removing the entire system, making maintenance work more efficient.
This will also decrease maintenance time and extend the life cycle of aircraft fleets in general.
