The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is always complaining about the wild Mustangs that roam across Idaho, but this new King of the Stallions actually flies!

During the month of August 2022, the U.S. Marine Corps conducted the first ever live-fire ‘wargame’ for its new CH-53K King Stallion, over the Saylor Creek bombing/gunnery range in South-Central Idaho.

Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron (HMH) 461 had the honors, and launched out of the U.S. Air Force’s Mountain Home Air Force Base, in Southwestern Idaho.  HMH-461 in based in North Carolina, they chose Idaho to test their new mount, because Idaho is geographically and climatically different from North Carolina.

USMC video, by Corporal Adam Henke, HMH-461 gets their King Stallion acquainted with the High Desert terrain of Idaho, 08AUG2022:

The USMC, and Lockheed-Sikorsky, claim the new-build CH-53K is more powerful, can fly higher, can stay airborne longer, is safer and easier to maintain than the older CH-53E Super Stallion.

USMC Corporal Adam Henke video of heavy lift operation, 17AUG2022:

In my opinion, the King Stallion is different enough that it should be considered its own helicopter family, apart from the CH-53 lineage.

USMC Corporal Adam Henke video of GAU-21 .50-cal ‘door-gunner’ live-fire, 17AUG2022:

USMC music video, by Corporal Adam Henke, of the first ‘exercise’ of the King Stallion, 30AUG2022:

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