Funds released by Comanche cancellation will finance light utility, armed reconnaissance and cargo transport projects
The post-RAH-66 Comanche restructuring of the US Army aviation fleet will begin in 2005, a year later than planned, but requirements are now set for three new aircraft programmes to be funded by the cancellation of the Boeing/ Sikorsky stealth helicopter project.
Questions remain about the security of the $14.6 billion restructuring plan, but army aviation leaders remain upbeat. Paul Bogosian, programme executive officer for aviation, says a recent move by US lawmakers to withhold funding in fiscal year 2004 until the army completes an analysis of the plan is not intended to be a permanent barrier. "There is no concern in the end as to [the Congressional members] standing behind this," he says.
But the army has withdrawn an effort to allocate the first $89 million gleaned from the Comanche account to launch new-start acquisition programmes for replacement light utility helicopter
(LUH), armed reconnaissance helicopter and future cargo aircraft fleets in FY04. Instead, the funds will be used to help eliminate all remaining Comanche termination liabilities by the end of the fiscal year, possibly freeing the army to start FY05 with a blank slate.
The LUH programme is due to lead to a contract award from August 2005, says Matt Rainey, deputy programme manager for utility helicopters. An initial capabilities document approved on 8 June by the Department of Defense calls for a US-based aircraft for light transport and other support missions.
A request for proposals is expected to be issued later this year, followed within 14 months by a platform selection, says Rainey. The army's production plan shows that an initial requirement for 303 LUHs has increased to 322. The first 10 will be delivered in 2006, followed by 36 in 2007, 62 in 2008, 72 in 2009 and in 2010, 51 in 2011 and 19 in 2012.
Bell is expected to offer UH-1 Hueys remanufactured to the Model 210 standard. Anticipating Bell's offering, the army has placed a hold on all international sales of its used Huey fleet until the LUH selection is made (Flight International, 25-31 May). AgustaWestland is expected to offer the A119 for the requirement.
The army has also changed its plans to migrate elements of the Comanche's advanced features to its wider fleet. Bogosian says the service no longer expects to use the RAH-66's 1,500shp (1,120kW) Honeywell/Rolls-Royce T802 powerplants in its other helicopters. However, there is interest in transferring the Comanche's integrated communications and navigation suite into the Cluster 1 segment of the Joint Tactical Radio System programme.
Source: Flight International
