The CH-53K heavy-lift helicopter is replacing the current, aging CH-53E. The primary mission of the CH-53K is to transport heavy equipment, personnel, and supplies from ship to shore. The CH‑53K is designed to provide many improvements over the CH-53E, including survivability. The Figure shows the CH‑53K helicopter lifting an F-35C Lightning II fighter jet. The CH‑53K is a Major Defense Acquisition Program with a budget of $26.6 billion for procurement and $8.1 billion for research, development, test, and evaluation. As of June 2024, 14 CH-53K helicopters have been produced and delivered. The DoN plans to procure an additional 182 helicopters, with an average acquisition cost of $135.8 million per unit. The CH‑53K has an expected service life of 30 to 40 years, and the DoN has estimated it will cost $63 billion to operate and sustain the CH‑53K fleet.