Aussie MRH-90

[Bushranger 71]

Hello again emergov; a while now since we jousted on a forum; but, respectfully, I think you are yet again off track in your #70 post.

First up; I have been retired from the military for 32 years but I am still just as capable as anybody of research and analysis, where you seem to be falling a bit short.

'...The very reason we are getting rid of our current fleet of ageing legacy platforms, some of which were designed in the 1950s, is to reduce cost of ownership. Huey II will cost us more than an equivalent buy of MRH90.'

Really! 46 x Huey II would cost around $100million or less considering we own about 20 Hotel models, but double that if you like to $200million for sustainment support costing. 46 x MRH90 will apparently cost us around $2.5billion.

'Huey is not suitable as an airmobile or air gunnery platform.'

Go have a look at posts #48 and #50. The overwhelming bulk of US Army and 9SQN RAAF Iroquois employment was airmobile trooping. The US Army UH-1C and RAAF UH-1H Bushangers were highly successful air gunnery platforms.

'The only reason they got away with it in Vietnam is because of the thick jungle.'

You should look at picto-mapping on the web for awareness of terrain and vegetation in and around Saigon, Bien Hoa, Phuoc Tuy and neighbouring provinces. Perhaps half of Phuoc Tuy was largely cleared of vegetation and much was rice paddy surrounding urban areas. Many engagements were within villages or in fairly open terrain.

'...and designed the Black Hawk (starting in 1968) as a direct result of the lessons learned.'

Blackhawk was arguably not a quantum leap on the Iroquois being twice as heavy and about 4 times more costly to operate for general utility roles, although it has some better attributes for special operations requirements. Both Boeing and Sikorsky erred somewhat in not sticking with the Huey cabin floor plan in the UTTAS competition. The twin-engined UH-1Y, which has a 500mm cabin extension, is being produced new for the USMC for general utility and gunship roles and they have previously used the UH-1N in those capacities for years.

'...flying a 65 year old acft with lashed up avionics and no EWSP on ops.'

The Huey II is a virtual as new platform with long-term supportability envisaged and for which a myriad of modular and bolt-on systems are certified. A range of enhancements are offered in the avionics upgrade and EWSP could be easily incorporated. These are hardly 'lashed-up' systems if incorporated in the factory upgrade program.

You cannot choose your chariot for war-fighting or expect to go to war in a cocoon. It really gets down to affordable capabilities.

Finally; I do have multiple former Army Aviation friends, one of whom kindly supplied me with all of the Bell Helicopter technical data for Huey II.