Two aircraft from the Luftwaffe’s (German Air Force’s) ageing fleet of Sikorsky CH-53G Sea Stallion heavy-lift transport helicopters – which has suffered from major obsolescence and reliability issues in recent years – have been forced to perform emergency landings in Germany on two separate occasions in the past week.
The first incident occurred on January 31 and involved CH-53GS (serial 85+00, c/n V65-098), which was forced to conduct a safety landing near Pfullendorf – a small town in the German state of Baden-Württemberg – after its pilots discovered a problem with the aircraft’s Automatic Flight Control System (AFCS). The crew was able to land the helicopter safely and no injuries were recorded during the incident. Following the incident, the site was quickly cordoned off by the Feldjäger (German Military Police) and Luftwaffe technicians arrived to conduct repairs, which the Luftwaffe said would “take some time” on social media.
Another incident occurred on February 2 and involved CH-53GA (serial 84+59, c/n V65-057). The pilots safely landed this Sea Stallion in a field near Dubro-Wildenau – a hamlet near Brandenburg – at 1532hrs (local time) as a safety precaution after the warning lights for possible chip abrasion on the helicopter’s main landing gear went on. As with the first incident, Luftwaffe technicians and equipment were delivered to the site to check the aircraft and perform necessary repairs.
Sikorsky’s CH-53G Sea Stallion entered German military service in 1972. For the majority of its service life, the heavy-lift transport helicopter was operated by the Heeresflieger (German Army Aviation) before the fleet was transferred to the Luftwaffe in 2013. Solely operated by Hubscraubergeschwader 64 (HSG-64; Helicopter Squadron 64) – which is headquartered at Laupheim Air Base in Baden-Württemberg – AirForces Intelligence data suggests that approximately 66 Sea Stallions remain in operational service, comprising 40 CH-53GAs, 20 CH-53GS and six CH-53GEs.
In a bid to replace the ageing Sea Stallion fleet – which continues to suffer from major obsolescence and reliability issues – the Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces) launched the Schwerer Transporthubschrauber (STH; Heavy Transport Helicopter) programme to select and procure a replacement for the CH-53G. The project saw two candidates throw their hat into the ring in a bid to be selected as a viable replacement for the Luftwaffe’s CH-53G fleet: Sikorsky’s CH-53K King Stallion and Boeing’s CH-47F Chinook. However, on September 29, 2020, the Bundeswehr cancelled the STH programme, citing that the bidding process highlighted that not all of the requirements could be met within the planned budget.
Two years later (on June 1, 2022), the German Department of Defence announced plans to acquire 60 CH-47F Block II Chinooks from Boeing to replace the Sea Stallions, with deliveries expected to take place between 2023 and 2029. The Luftwaffe’s remaining CH-53GA/GS/GE helicopters are slated to be retired from operational service in 2030.
