Originally Posted by
etudiant
There was a consensus that there was a legitimate requirement, but no confidence that the Cheyenne's problems could be fixed. Hence the AH-64, to replace the Cheyenne.
You are making an incorrect historical omission. The Bell Cobra is the platform that fulfilled the Army's "legitimate requirement ". The Cheyenne was a technical marvel when designed, and would still be today. But could you ever imagine maintaining the complex beast in the rice paddies of South East Asia?
The Bell Cobra may not have been what the Army upper eschelon wanted, but it provided the grunts on the ground in Vietnam the machine they need for a decade before the Apache came around.