NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, MD. – The last of 456 CH-46E Sea Knights were redelivered to the Marine Corps April 27 at Naval Air Station Atsugi, Japan, after completing the last maintenance and repair cycle in Japan.
Lt. Col. Damen Marsh, commanding officer, Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 265 (HMM-265), accepted delivery of the final CH-46E from Tsutomu Tsukamoto, U.S. government program group manager of the Nippon Hikouki (NIPPI) Aircraft Maintenance Division.
Nippi has done depot maintenance and repairs in Japan on the CH-46E since 1966.
“Nippi is a blue chip player for the Naval Aviation Enterprise team. It has a history of getting the job done right the first time. This has ensured timely and effective Western Pacific depot support for our operational CH-46 fleet,” said Lt. Col. Paul Riegert, CH-46E program manager, PMA-226, Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C. “Recently, these CH-46 aircraft have played critical roles in the long war — providing humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to our friends in Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines and, most recently, Japan itself. This last delivery is the capstone of decades of outstanding teamwork that has made a lasting impact in the region.”
The mission of the CH-46E Sea Knight is being assumed by the MV-22 Osprey. The transition to the MV-22 across the Marine Corps should be complete by 2017.
