American Helicopter/Aircraft Losses
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American Helicopter/Aircraft Losses
"Another US helicopter was lossed over Iraq yesterday, Wednesday 25 February, reportedly killing both crew members. The Kiowa reconnaissance helicopter came down near the town of Haditha, 200km (120 miles) west of Baghdad".
Is it just me or is any one else slightly worried about the amount of aircraft the US lose in warzones both in modern day and previous battles? I'm fully aware its not the safest environment to operate in but you rarely here of any other coalition aircraft being shot down or crashing.
Is this high level of losses purely due to the amount of hardware the US has in theater so it is more likely that they will be targeted or, (if i'm allowed to say this), they are a bit gung-ho and cowboyish?
Re-treating before the back-lash!
ppf
Is it just me or is any one else slightly worried about the amount of aircraft the US lose in warzones both in modern day and previous battles? I'm fully aware its not the safest environment to operate in but you rarely here of any other coalition aircraft being shot down or crashing.
Is this high level of losses purely due to the amount of hardware the US has in theater so it is more likely that they will be targeted or, (if i'm allowed to say this), they are a bit gung-ho and cowboyish?
Re-treating before the back-lash!
ppf
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
Firstly, they have a lot of them,. Secondly, they're very open about reporting accidents. If you look up they're accident rates, again openly reported, you'll find them no worse than that of most other services. e.g. See here.
More disturbing from the army and USAF point of view is that their loss rate is still far in excess of the funding for, and ordering of, replacement airframes. Which is one reason for the cancellation of the RAH-66. The $14 billion presently earmarked for the first 121 aircraft (work out the cost per helicopter) will be used instead to buy 796 new helicopters/aircraft off the shelf and upgrade 1,400 more, including:
303 new light utility helicopters to replace their remaining UH-1 Hueys.
80 additional UH-60L Black Hawks.
25 new fixed-wing theatre cargo planes to replace their C-23 Sherpas.
20 additional CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopters.
A replacement heavy-lift helicopter to replace their cargo helicopters by 2020.
Additional battlefield UAV systems such as Predator II.
(I'm just waiting for those in Congress with production plants in their constituencies to do the same sums concerning the F-22 v F-15E and F-35 v F-16 and F-18E.)
More disturbing from the army and USAF point of view is that their loss rate is still far in excess of the funding for, and ordering of, replacement airframes. Which is one reason for the cancellation of the RAH-66. The $14 billion presently earmarked for the first 121 aircraft (work out the cost per helicopter) will be used instead to buy 796 new helicopters/aircraft off the shelf and upgrade 1,400 more, including:
303 new light utility helicopters to replace their remaining UH-1 Hueys.
80 additional UH-60L Black Hawks.
25 new fixed-wing theatre cargo planes to replace their C-23 Sherpas.
20 additional CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopters.
A replacement heavy-lift helicopter to replace their cargo helicopters by 2020.
Additional battlefield UAV systems such as Predator II.
(I'm just waiting for those in Congress with production plants in their constituencies to do the same sums concerning the F-22 v F-15E and F-35 v F-16 and F-18E.)
