In 1983 the United States began a program to upgrade the aging fleet of U.S. Army helicopters. What was initially known as the Light Helicopter Experimental (LHX), in April 1991 the LHX program would become the Reconnaissance Attack Helicopter (RAH-66). The program was initially designed to replace all light helicopters in the Army fleet, however, this was reduced to a more attainable goal of replacing the AH-1, OH-58, and OH-6 helicopters. This program greatly enhanced the capabilities of the commander on the battlefield of the future.1
The helicopter of the future would far outclass any helicopter on the planet; boasting capabilities like fly by wire controls, stealth, greater maneuverability, greater speed, and far reaching technological capabilities making it the “quarterback of the digital battlefield”-. What the Comanche program quickly turned into was an over budget, behind schedule, government project that was being built to combat an enemy that no longer existed. Technological advances found through the 6.9 billion dollars spent on the Comanche have yielded some improvements to the current fleet of Army helicopters (block III Apache), however, it could be argued that the Comanche project simply drained the military and held back the advancement of the current fleet. 2 Twenty years after the birth of the LHX, the United States had invested 6.9 Billion dollars and had two RAH-66 helicopters to show for it. In 2003, with the war on terrorism kicking off, President George W. Bush cancelled the Comanche program to better equip the U.S. Military for the fight that was ongoing.
History
U.S. strategy in 1983 toward the Cold War with the U.S.S.R. was to simply out spend the Soviet Union in the military sector. The...
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...ng”, Defense Media Network, December 16, 2010, www.defensemedianetwork.com
3. NATO’s Nations and Partners for Peace, Comanche Terminated, Air Power, 2004
4. Pelletier, A.J. “Bell Model 406/OH-58D Kiowa Warrior”, Avia Star, www.aviastar.org/helicopters_eng/bell_warrior.php, 1992
5. U.S. Department of Defense News Transcript. Briefing on the Restructure and Revitalization of Army Aviation, February 23, 2004
6. Department of Defense Office of the Inspector General. Financial Management of the RAH 66 Comanche Helicopter Program, August 6, 1998
7. Department of Defense Office of the Inspector General, Acquisition Management of the RAH-66 Comanche, May 12, 2003
8. Wayne, Leslie. Pentagon Says it Plans to Kill Copter Program, The New York Times, February 24, 2004
9. Werthman, Robert W, Col.. The Comanche Helicopter Program: A Strategic Policy Failure, March 30, 2007
In 2008 I served as an AH-64D Maintenance Test Pilot /Battalion Maintenance Officer in Delta Company 4-227TH Aviation Regiment in Camp Taji, Iraq. Delta Company was responsible for supervising Dyna Corp. Contractors at Camp Taji were conducting all AH-64 scheduled phase maintenance in theater. While there, the company ran into challenges meeting phase deadlines assigned by the Brigade Aviation Maintenance Officer due to the amount of flight time being flown and manpower assigned to complete phases.
In 1968, the United States Army activated the 123rd Aviation Battalion, creating a remarkable unit that was comprised of several Army assets. The design of the battalion revolutionized how assets could be combined to complete many missions by mixing infantry, signal, aviation, and support units. The 123rd’s mission ranged from was to collect intelligence, deliver supplies, insert and extract infantrymen, and provide air support. In addition to their primary mission they also participated in medical evacuation, an invaluable asset on the battlefields of Vietnam.
The Civil Reserve Air Fleet is a partnership between the Department of Defense and commercial airlines where the airlines contractually commit a portion of their aircraft and crews to be used by the Department in the event of any level of military conflict. These aircraft can be “called up” and required to respond quickly to provide airlift support to the Department of Defense. There are minimum required levels of participation in order for the airlines to be eligible, and in turn they receive peace time business including passenger and cargo movement approximately in proportion to their commitment level. The program is divided into three segments which include varying amounts and sizes of aircraft that serve specific purposes. There are also three levels of activation depending on the severity of the conflict, which also require different amounts and sizes of aircraft. This program has been in place for nearly 53 years, and has become an essential partnership required for an effective United States military. The following pages are an investigation various aspects of the Civil Reserve Air Fleet such as its purpose, history, and effectiveness.
Bolkcom, Christopher. "V-22 Osprey Tilt-Rotor Aircraft Congressional Research Service Report for Congress." Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Congressional Research Service, The Library of Congress. N.p., 7 Jan. 2005. Web. 16 Mar. 2014.
- - -, dir. “Tactical Air Control Party Specialist (TACP).” U.S. Air Force. U.S. Air Force, n.d. Web. 7 Feb. 2012. .
Jay, Erin Flynn. “U.S. Army Expands Use of Patriot Air and Missile Defense System.” Military Space & Missile Forum November/December Issue 2009.
The 1st Battalion of the 7th Cavalry Regiment, under the command of Lt. Col. Harold Moore, engaged with the 66th Regiment of NVA regular infantry under the command of General Chu Huy Man. Given a search and destroy mission, 1-7 Cavalry infiltrated the objective area via helicopter to search for and destroy the NVA enemy. This represented the first operational test of air assault operations.
In 1957, the army began developing a new fighting force based on the helicopter. ...
When someone hears the words ‘Air Force’ they might think of one of the most strikingly impressive and capable military branches known today. However, most people do not know the struggle and competition to change the minds of stubborn Generals and die hard soldiers. William ‘Billy’ Mitchell was the man who first envisioned air power. He fought his whole life for an Air Force. Once he ran out of options he sacrificed his career to continue advocating for air power’s potential, Mitchell continued this effort until death. He managed to convince his superiors of his idea of aircraft right before America would have been destroyed by Germany and Japan in World War II. General William ‘Billy’ Mitchell’s leadership in advocating air power led to his legacy that lives on and is clearly seen in today’s modern United States Air Force.
However, it is evident that the implementation of these specialized aviation units has enabled Delta Force to execute its missions with much more accuracy. America’s ability to reach out and touch someone has come a long way since the failed mission of Operation Eagle Claw. Ignoring the political side of things, it is very comforting to know that such a precision instrument exists. “You guys are the meanest and ugliest fuckers I’ve met in my life. But I love you. You guys saved my life and I’m eternally, eternally grateful…So long, guys.” (Kurt Muse)
$16.0 on 650 Comanche helicopters despite the Army eliminating their primary missions of transport and attack
First conceived during Cold War as airframe to vie with the Soviet aircraft that was never built F-22 is touted by the manufacturer Lockheed Martin as best overall combat plane in this world not to mention most expensive. It can shoot down the enemy cruise missiles, fly some long distances at the supersonic speeds and avoid nearly all type of the radar detection. But Senate debate over whether to build the seven more at taxpayer cost of around $1.67 billion eventually came down to plane’s job-creating abilities. The axed project would employ around 25,000 Americans.
There are many types of technological developments in the military happening at all times. They range from new aircraft to sophisticated guidance systems. Teams of specialists work for years to develop some of our simplest equipment. These people’s everyday lives are devoted to the safety and protection of the citizens of the U.S.
Tice, Brian P. (1991). Unmanned Aerial Vehicles – The Force Multiplier of the 1990s. Airpower Journal.