Yeoman_dai
8th May 2009, 13:41
Defense Tech: Helos, Drones Up, FCS Down for Army (http://www.defensetech.org/archives/004837.html)
looking at that, a few things spring to mind, such as why has our Army pushed rotor funding down, while the US seems to think its critical?
'$1.2 billion for 79 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters.
• $1.06 billion for 36 CH-47F Chinook helicopters, of which 25 will be new builds and 14 remanufactured aircraft.
• $736 million for 36 Sky Warrior drones, the Army variant of the Predator family armed drone.
• $370 million for remanufacture of 8 AH-64 Apaches to the Longbow Block 3 configuration.
• $326 million for Lakota Light Utility Helicopters.
• $105 million to buy the C-12 Liberty dual prop plane, a modified King Air 350, for tactical surveillance and ground force overwatch.
• $79 million to buy 704 of the small Raven aerial drone.
those are the bits I saw as especially interesting.
$4.416bn (so £2.5bn ish) on new rotorcraft and air assets to support ground forces. wow.
looking at that, a few things spring to mind, such as why has our Army pushed rotor funding down, while the US seems to think its critical?
'$1.2 billion for 79 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters.
• $1.06 billion for 36 CH-47F Chinook helicopters, of which 25 will be new builds and 14 remanufactured aircraft.
• $736 million for 36 Sky Warrior drones, the Army variant of the Predator family armed drone.
• $370 million for remanufacture of 8 AH-64 Apaches to the Longbow Block 3 configuration.
• $326 million for Lakota Light Utility Helicopters.
• $105 million to buy the C-12 Liberty dual prop plane, a modified King Air 350, for tactical surveillance and ground force overwatch.
• $79 million to buy 704 of the small Raven aerial drone.
those are the bits I saw as especially interesting.
$4.416bn (so £2.5bn ish) on new rotorcraft and air assets to support ground forces. wow.