RNethAF General slams US Army Aviation Plan

[chopper2004]

Dutch Air Force Chief Slams US Army Helicopter Plan - Defense One

[KenV]

Interesting isn't it? Damned if you do and damned if you don't.

The F-35 program took huge risks and tried mightily to make big leaps in multiple technologies at once. And is being damned for it.

The Army's helicopter program tried to avoid the pitfalls of such risky technological leaps by staying conservative. And is being damned for it.

[Lonewolf_50]

Originally Posted by chopper2004

Dutch Air Force Chief Slams US Army Helicopter Plan - Defense One

Good thing the Dutch have a robust rotary wing industry to take up the slack for those who just can't fulfill his vision.

Oh, wait, I guess they don't.

I suspect that one of the things that bothers him is how the West's defense industrial base seems to by dying the death of a thousand cuts, and thus choices are necking down. F-35 seems to be a case in point, and IIRC the Dutch are caught in that mess along with a bunch of other NATO allies and the US.

V-280 and modularity answers two critical acquisition exam questions, if it comes off as hoped: common airframe, smaller logistics and spares tail, modularity. You may want to look into the benefits USMC are accruing with AH-1Z and UH-1Y in terms of parts commonality and supportability.

There's been a never ending drive, since Graham Rudman Act of 1986, to address the tail and supportability issues in any new program.

As to the S-97 follow on that is supposed to be bigger, not sure if that will pan out. I don't doubt that sometime soon EC/Airbus Helicopters may present their ideas on the future of vertical lift as competition to the ideas already shown by the current players in the game.

I appreciate his appeal to a broad vision, but temper that with the hard facts of physics and rotary wing flight/vertical lift.

[langleybaston]

Schnitger should be grateful he has a big brother, rather than whingeing.
Not as if the Netherlands could do better, is it?

[KenV]

Good thing the Dutch have a robust rotary wing industry to take up the slack for those who just can't fulfill his vision.

I wonder if the NH-90 project that the Dutch are involved in incorporates any of the visionary features the good general demands from the US Army's helo projects.