It's purpose was to replace 2 existing legacy aircraft AND free up UH-60's for the overseas duty. It was not designed to compete with the 60 or do the 60's job. NONE of the aircraft (412, 139, 902) in the competition were or could. So people should stop comparing it to the 60.
The LUH is 'off the shelf' product. Therefore the avionics are the same as those in the commercial versions of the EC145 that fly everyday in all conditions. I've flown many an hour in the 145 in the Amercan southwes without A/C and with OAT's exceeding 95F and have never had an 'unsafe' failure condition result because of it. Yes the 145 cockpit is hotter than other cockpits but not significantly so. It's not that much worse than a 407 or 212.
As far as the 'unusual step of adding air conditioners' to my knowledge, and correct me if I'm wrong, don't all Army medevac 60's have A/C for patient comfort?
What this article says to me is that the OT pilots and crew are trying to force the issue of putting an A/C in the aircraft by flagging the cockpit environment as a safety of flight issue to get the A/C installed (which it should have been to begin with). I've been on military programs before where both the engineers and crew pleaded for A some sort of ECS in the aircraft and the PM's refused to put it in because of cost, so this isn't a first. I'm sure the Army was well aware of the issue but was keeping it's fingers crossed that they wouldn't have to deal with it.
Bertie Thruster, as far as your comment for the 902 goes,
'
especially as it is well equipped to deal with the Middle East’s high temperatures'
so is the 145 with A/C. The Army did not want the A/C option in ANY of the competing aircraft so you would have had a similar issue, and how many patitents can you work on in the back of a 902 at one time?