GE Aerospace has been awarded a $1.4 billion contract to provide additional T408 turboshaft engines for the US Marine Corps’ Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion heavy-lift helicopter.
The multi-year agreement covers propulsion system deliveries for production lots nine through 13, building on six earlier contracts supporting the CH-53K program. The award includes newly manufactured engines, spare powerplants, and associated sustainment and maintenance services.
Engine assembly will take place at GE Aerospace’s facility in Lynn, Massachusetts, with additional manufacturing and support activities carried out across New Hampshire, Vermont, Kentucky, Ohio, and Florida. Germany-based MTU Aero Engines, a long-standing partner on the T408 program, will produce the engine’s power turbine.
The T408 reached initial operational capability with the US Marine Corps in 2022 alongside the CH-53K, just four years after the first King Stallion aircraft was delivered. Each helicopter is powered by three T408 engines, generating a combined 22,500 horsepower—around 57 percent more than the legacy T64 engine.
This increased power enables the CH-53K to achieve nearly three times the range and payload capacity of the earlier CH-53E Super Stallion, significantly enhancing the movement of personnel, equipment, and weapons. The T408 also features optimized fuel efficiency, 63 percent fewer parts, and a ruggedized design, delivering an 18 percent improvement in efficiency and simplified maintenance.
