Much as I hate to play the cynic,
The Army Lynx requirement had to be rewritten because several people embarrassed themselves trying to justify the aircrafts capability against the original requirement. The phrase ‘so what if it can’t carry a single section of troops, so send two aircraft’ springs to mind as a classic example of the original requirement to carry a properly constituted infantry section.
As a player on the battlefield, Lynx was just about ‘okay’. Yes, I have flown Mk 1, 5, 7, and 9 and they have gradually improved but with nowhere like the expansion capacity required for modern self-defense systems to be incorporated and the like. It has very little crash survivability built in and little or no systems self protection (not the DAS). I have always found myself wanting to be able to do more than the aircraft was capable of providing!
With an Apache as capable as it already is then why not buy some extra D models without the Radar. A force multiplier and let the current Longbows carry out the recce?
There are other systems out there such as MX15 and the like than can provide recce with stand-off where an AH would be not politically correct and with much greater loiter capability!
Considered opinion from an old bold Lynx operator who acknowledges its limitations and has always wanted to be able to do what I should be able to do with it but never could!
HEDP