A Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion heavy-lift transport helicopter was used to successfully recover a damaged US Navy-operated MH-60S Knighthawk from Mount Hogue in the White Mountains of California on September 5.
The two-day operation – which was coordinated with the Naval Safety Center – marked the first official fleet mission for the US Marine Corps’ (USMC’s) newest heavy-lift rotary wing asset. The platform is currently undergoing the Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E) process with Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron 1 (VMX-1) at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms in California.
![CH-53K lifts damaged MH-60S from Mount Hogue 05-09-21 [USMC/Cpl Therese Edwards]](https://fullfatthings-keyaero.b-cdn.net/sites/keyaero/files/inline-images/6826052.jpg)
Lt Col Luke Frank, CH-53K detachment officer in charge for VMX-1, said: “VMX-1 received a request for assistance from the Naval Safety Center about an MH-60S Knighthawk that suffered a hard landing near Mount Hogue, at an elevation of 12,000 Mean Sea Level (MSL) in July.”
The damaged MH-60S has been resting on a high-altitude ridge in very rugged terrain near the…
