The U.S. Navy’s Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) announced that one of its earliest CH-53K King Stallion test aircraft is being transferred to a new role in support of aviation readiness.
The Engineering Demonstration Model 1 (EDM-1), formerly used for flight testing at NAS Patuxent River, is now en route to the Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training (CNATT) at Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina.
The CH-53K EDM-1 will be repurposed as a practical job trainer to help train the next generation of Marine Corps aviation maintainers.
In a statement, NAVAIR said the move is aimed at strengthening sustainment and ensuring long-term operational availability of the Marine Corps’ newest heavy-lift helicopter.
“This move is crucial for building the skilled workforce needed to keep the King Stallion — the DoD’s most powerful helicopter — in the fight,” the service said. “It’s a direct investment in readiness, ensuring our warfighters have the essential heavy-lift capability to dominate any environment.”
The CH-53K, developed by Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, is the most capable heavy-lift rotary-wing aircraft in U.S. military service. It is designed to transport more than 27,000 pounds of external cargo over a distance of 110 nautical miles, nearly triple the capacity of its predecessor, the CH-53E Super Stallion.
EDM-1 played a central role during the CH-53K’s developmental flight test program, contributing to critical evaluations of flight controls, structural dynamics, and avionics integration. With its testing role complete, the airframe is now being re-tasked as a non-flying trainer platform — a shift that underscores the military’s emphasis on lifecycle support and hands-on technical education.
At CNATT, the aircraft will be used to conduct realistic maintenance scenarios that mirror real-world challenges faced by operational squadrons. Unlike simulators or mock-ups, EDM-1 provides an actual airframe for in-depth instruction on airframe systems, diagnostics, and repair.