Speed, agility, endurance, sensors, firepower....that's whats important!!
Retired enlisted man here, not since the US Army was flying the OH-58Cs have I seen or heard of a scout helicopter sling loading anything...please show me a picture of an operational "line" unit performing this mission with a D model 58. With so much jee wiz electronics on board, there is no back seat let alone the ability to sling load. Plus the primary mission of the airframe is to locate, target, report enemy formations w/aerial gunnery support second. That is what the "O" means...observation!!!! NOT utility. Please don't send argue that Task Force 160 will us its little birds (OH-6) to sling load from time to time...they are an entirely different animal and their mission is very different hence the different airframe altogether.