MH-53 Sea Dragon
Description:
The MH-53E is used primarily for Airborne Mine Countermeasures (AMCM),
with a secondary mission of shipboard delivery.
Background:
The MH-53E was derived from the CH-53E Super Stallion and
is heavier and has a greater fuel capacity than its ancestor.
The MH-53s can operate from carriers and other warships. Sea
Dragon is capable of carrying up to 55 troops or a 16-ton
payload 50 nautical miles or a 10-ton payload 500 nautical
miles. The MH-53E is capable of towing a variety of
mine-sweeping countermeasures systems, including the Mk 105
minesweeping sled, the AQS-14 side-scan sonar, and the Mk 103
mechanical minesweeping system.
General
Characteristics
Contractor:
Sikorsky Aircraft Division of United Technologies Corp.
Propulsion: Three General Electric T64-GE-416 turboshaft
engines (4,380 shaft horsepower each)
Length:
Fuselage: 73 feet 4 inches (22.34 meters)
Overall: 99 feet (30.18 meters)
Height: 28 feet 4 inches (8.63 meters)
Weight: 21 tons (max gross) (18.9 metric tons)
Main Rotor Diameter: 72 feet 3 inches (21.7 meters)
Range: 1,120 nautical miles (1,289 statute miles, 1802
km)
Ceiling: 27,900 feet
Speed: 150 knots (172 miles per hour, 241 km per hour)
Crew: Two pilots, one to six aircrewman, depending on mission
Armament: None
Date deployed: 1983; replaced last of CH-53E in 1994.
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