FOUR FORMER Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF) Sikorsky S-80M- 1s have been delivered to Erikson’s facility in Medford, Oregon, to be prepared for a new lease of life with the US Navy. The helicopters were donated to the US free of charge, the first two being received by the US Navy in June 2017 and the remaining two around June this year. They had arrived with Erikson by September this year and are currently undergoing an assessment process to determine the engineering and logistical effort required to bring them up to the US Navy’s MH-53E Sea Dragon configuration. Work will include depot-level inspections and repairs.
At least five ex-JMSDF S-80M-1s are confirmed as having been returned to the US. These comprise serials 8629 (c/n 65-586) and 8630 (c/n 65-587), which were loaded onto US Air Force/60th Air Mobility Wing C-5M 87-0032 at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, on June 9, 2017 before being flown out to the US. Two others, 8623 (c/n 65-540) and 8628 (c/n 65-585), made the journey to the US by ship after being loaded onto the vehicle carrier Green Lake on July 18, 2017 at Iwakuni. Of these, 8623 and 8628 were noted at MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina, on May 5 this year, along w…
