We're buying helicopters that cost 100 mil each?

via UPI

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 (UPI) -- Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. has been awarded a $232 million U.S. Navy contract modification for procurement of CH-53K King Stallion helicopters.
The deal covers procurement of two system demonstration test article aircraft.
Work will be performed at sites in the United States and is expected to be completed by February 2020.

Naval Air Systems Command is the contracting activity for the deal with the Lockheed Martin subsidiary.
The King Stallion is in prototype production phase and is the Marine Corps' heavy lift replacement helicopter for the CH-53E.
It will transport Marines, heavy equipment and supplies during ship-to-shore movement in support of amphibious assault and subsequent operations ashore.
The King Stallion will be the Pentagon's most powerful helicopter and is designed to lift nearly 14 tons at a mission radius of 110 nautical miles.
The service is seeking to eventually buy 200 of the aircraft.

I could easily be wrong but that means each of these beasts is hitting at over 100 mil!  That's crazy!  We're exercising ultimate financial restraints when it comes to buying an ACV....even pitting contractors against each other to get the lowest price...but then turn around and tell LM to "take our money" when it comes to the CH-53K?

The crazy thing?  IF they're able to bend the cost curve on the F-35 (which I doubt more and more each day) then our heavy lift helicopter will cost more than that abomination.

I've said that it would be stupid for the USMC to simply marinize a CH-47 (especially one with those extra large fuel tanks) to achieve cost savings by falling onto the Army's supply chain.  It might be time to reassess.