Elbit Systems has secured a $130 million contract from Israel to install domestically developed aviation systems on the Israeli Air Force’s future CH-53K Pereh heavy-lift helicopters.
Under the Defense Procurement Directorate-led agreement, Elbit will equip 12 aircraft with Israeli-made command-and-control systems, advanced avionics, electronic warfare suites, and a directional infrared countermeasures anti-missile system.
The helicopters were acquired from the US through a 2021 FMS deal and are currently under construction at Sikorsky’s facility in Connecticut. Once completed, they will be transferred to a separate integration line for modification to Israeli specifications.
According to Elbit, the upgrades will improve cockpit performance, enable safer operations in complex conditions, and enhance the detection of obstacles and secure landing areas. Sikorsky is scheduled to deliver the CH-53Ks between 2028 and 2030, when they will progressively replace the aging CH-53 Yas’ur fleet that has served since the 1960s.
Calling the deal “a major milestone,” Defense Minister Israel Katz highlighted its importance for the Israeli Air Force’s modernization.
Known as the King Stallion, the CH-53K is a 30-meter heavy-lift helicopter capable of carrying up to 30 passengers or around 15,876 kg of payload. It features three 7,500-hp GE T408 engines, a range of 460 nautical miles, a service ceiling of 16,000 feet, and a maximum speed of 170 knots.
