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  • Armed Reconnaissance Helicopters

    I listened to the Fighter Pilot Podcast episode on the OH-58 Kiowa: https://www.fighterpilotpodcast.com/...9-oh-58-kiowa/

    It got me thinking about the Kiowa.

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    It's mission, and the many failed replacement attempts such as the RAH-66 Comanche.

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    It was interesting hearing how the mission of the OH-58 transformed from the cold war, near-peer threat to operations in the COIN environment. I'm not sure the Comanche would have been risked in many operations over the past 20 years. The next replacement attempt was the ARH-70 Arapaho.

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    Cost overruns got this bird killed, but it didn't seem like it had many advantages over the OH-58. Next came the Armed Aerial Scout program with a host of potential options, but I think the best platform for this role would have actually been the H135.

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    EADS did offered the H145 for the AAS program, I assume due to commonality with the UH-72, but I think the H135 would have been better. The H135 retains two engines for performance, but is smaller than the 145. Iraq and previously Jordan have operated the H135 in a similar role.

    Having now retired the OH-58, the US Army is currently searching for its future armed reconnaissance helicopter with the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft program, again with a near-peer threat in mind. I predict the Bell 360 Invictus (which looks like a refined Comanche) will win over the Sikorsky Raider X.

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    I have noticed over the past twenty years of following military aircraft procurement that the best looking design most often wins. Obviously the service and servicemen want to look cool while performing their duty, but I postulate that if a design looks good, then the design inherently lends itself to aesthetics, or the design is mature and the design team was able to devote more time to looks than other, less attractive designs.

    Armed reconnaissance helicopters, just something that I've been interested in this week, especially the H135 design, it's a shame it never caught on.

  • #2
    The Comanche & Arapaho were killed due to a) requirements creep, b) poor program management & c) increasing costs due to a & b.

    Absolute lessons learned on how not to run programs. One advantage the ARH-70 had over the AH-58 is newer airframe. AH-58Ds were rebuilds of OH-58C airframes. Maintaining those airframes was also a reason for retirement...too much maintenance cost per flight hour.

    The lessons learned on these programs were applied to fix the F-35 program when it was on the rocks about 10-12 years ago.

    There was some thoughts on why not the UH-72 Lakota n this role...simple, it would cost them too much to make them survivable as well as sustainable in combat operations. They are restricted for CONUS operations only.

    “Loyalty to country ALWAYS. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it.”
    Mark Twain

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    • #3
      Originally posted by Albany Rifles View Post
      The lessons learned on these programs were applied to fix the F-35 program when it was on the rocks about 10-12 years ago.
      Any broad lessons that you could share?

      FARA progress continues: https://www.defensenews.com/land/202...ance-aircraft/

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      • #4
        Originally posted by JA Boomer View Post

        Any broad lessons that you could share?

        FARA progress continues: https://www.defensenews.com/land/202...ance-aircraft/
        1. Define what the requirements are and stick to them. Requirements creep would be hammered to death. The PEO insisted that any increase in requirements over that which was budgeted for, the money to pay for the new requirements comes out of other aviation system programs. That brought the Aviation School up short...especially when the TRADOC Commander & the Army Acquisition Executive backed up the PEO.

        2. Hard, definable and measurable key performance parameters and key system attributes were nailed down with threshold requirements and objective requirements. An example is the fully loaded with fuel, weapons, sensors & crew aircraft must be able to travel at x mph as a threshold and y mph as an objective. The delta between the x & y is called trade space and it gave the PM area to use to offset in case they needed lower speed for sensors to meet their requirements.

        These are basic acquisition tools which have now been vigorously applied across all systems. We got really lazy during the 2000-2012 when DOD was awash in War on Terror dollars.
        “Loyalty to country ALWAYS. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it.”
        Mark Twain

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