What Is The Largest Helicopter In The US Military And How Much Can It Carry?

The United States military employs a lot of helicopters across its branches, with the Army helicopter fleet being the largest. While the Army is happy to zoom about in UH-60 Black Hawks or CH-47 Chinooks, the Marine Corps requires different types of choppers. Since 1966, Sikorsky's CH-53 series of helicopters has dominated the skies when Marines are piloting, and its many variants are the U.S. military's largest helicopters.

These helicopters have been continuously upgraded and updated to remain relevant, and the latest iteration – the CH-53K King Stallion, introduced to the Corps in 2018 — is not only the biggest thus far, but also capable of lifting an incredibly heavy load. Depending on how it needs to be utilized, a CH-53K has a maximum takeoff weight of 88,000 pounds with an external load of up to 36,000 pounds, and 74,000 pounds with an internal load. That's significantly more than the CH-47's max takeoff weight of 50,000 pounds. The CH-53K also can carry 32 passengers or 24 litters.

The CH-53K King Stallion is truly the king of Marine Corps heavy lift helicopters. While the Corps has employed various CH-53s over the program's life, the latest model only entered into full production in 2022. The Corps plans to replace its older CH-53s with the newest version, with an eye on 200 total aircraft.

The CH-53K King Stallion can carry two up-armored Humvees and its cabin is a foot wider than those in previous models, allowing greater internal capacity. The cabin is 30 by 8.6 by 6.5 feet, more than enough room to cram in a platoon of fully loaded Marines. The helicopter's length is just over 99 feet, it stands 28 feet high, and it can transport a load of 27,000 pounds a distance of 126.5 miles.

The CH-53K has a service ceiling of 16,000 feet and can fly a maximum of 182 mph. Perhaps most notable are its engines — it's equipped with three General Electric T408 turboshaft engines, each supplying 7,500 shaft horsepower for a total of 22,500 shp. It's part of the legendary Sea Stallion family of Sikorsky helicopters. 

The CH-53K can do a lot for the Marines. It is fully shipboard compatible, can automatically fold its rotors for easier storage in only two minutes, and can be refueled aerially. It can operate in all weather, rain or shine, cold or hot. While the CH-53K is not an attack helicopter, like other transport choppers it can mount heavy machine guns on its ramp for defense while loading and unloading personnel. Still, the helicopter's primary mission is heavy lifting, and whether the Corps needs to move trucks, pallets of gear, or dozens of personnel, the CH-53K King Stallion is more than up to the task.