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| Lakota |
The Aviation Community is feeling the effects of Sequestration and also plans to eliminate the OH-58 from the operational Army and replace it with AH-64s from the National Guard. Naturally the National Guard does not want to lose their AH-64s and have them be replaced with Blackhawks. The Active Duty Army believes that the Blackhawks will provide "light utility helicopter to do the missions they have and they need lift," an Army Official stated. This plan is estimated to save the Army over $1 billion a year in operating costs while maintaining firepower for active duty troops.
With the Army changing its entry level helicopter training airframe it looks to the future of training efficiently with less. New technology will allow trainees to learn on a more advanced airframe. Now the Army is phasing out the OH-58s to minimize costs and address the constant struggle between a strong versus a weak standing army. By giving all of the AH-64s to the Active Duty Army it would put more emphasis on a standing army while the effects of this would make the National Guard appear as more of a purely disaster relief army. This is an argument that will go on so long as the United States has both active and reservists in its ranks.
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| AH-64 Apaches |
Generating a new force for the changes the Army is going through will be a difficult task, especially for a branch that requires a very large budget to maintain itself. By saving over $1 billion a year in operating costs the Army can use that money to fund other operations and still have a more flexible force. Sustaining the force will be easier in the sense that the Army will have a fewer amount of airframes that must be maintained. With the National Guard getting Blackhawks they are more able to respond to domestic affairs and disaster relief operations while the active side of the army can maintain its combat ability with the added AH-64s. A more cost effective army will be the most difficult challenge in the coming years but maintaining strategic mobility remains a priority.
It is an interesting thing to think about. The Army needs more AH-64s to replace ones that have been lost. In order to fill the need they take them from the National Guard. At some point, there will not be any more attack helicopters to get from the National Guard. The answer then will be to develop and order a new one. But when will the Army see this need and begin to take these steps?
ReplyDeleteThis action seems to just be a quick band-aid. The real problem is a decaying fleet of outdated airframes with no replacement in sight.
I understand the need to develop a more modern flight training program... but could this not be made more cost effective by shortening the amount of time flight students train on the TH-67, requiring fewer craft, and increasing the amount of training done on operational airframes like the Apache and Chinook? In another light, is the US logistical machine too focused on generating that we fail to take make full use of the lifespan of the equipment we already have?
ReplyDeleteThe Bell TH-67 being used as the initial air platform for Army Aviation trainees has been in service at Fort Rucker since 1968, with updated versions being implemented into flight school classes since its original debut. Currently, the US Army spends approximately $1 million per aircraft, but the main issue with the TH-67 is maintenance and fuel costs. Given the limited power and flight time that the TH-67 provides, it has proven to be extremely costly to sustain a fleet of training helicopters. Adopting a more expensively-produced Lakota to be the new training platform for Army Aviation Flight School would put a significant dent in the Army’s wallet, but over time, could prove cheaper to maintain. The question that must be asked is exactly how long would it take for the Lakota to pay-off, and begin to save money for the Army? Another aspect of the TH-67 to be considered is that the OH-58 is an adaptation of the TH-67. With the recent decision to phase out the Kiowa Warrior, it seems logical to phase out its less complex base model as the training platform for all Aviation students. It will be interesting to see how Pentagon decision makers approach this issue in the near future.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to the elimination of the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior, the Army has designated the Apache as the interim “scout” helicopter as well as the primary attack helicopter. A transition of the AH-64 to the active side of the Army makes sense tactically as it is used in a combat role, and more would be needed to pick up the “scout” slack left behind from the elimination of the OH-58D. However, the cost effectiveness does not result from simply shifting ownership of AH-64’s from Guard units to active units, but cuts to overall flight time and munitions training in Attack Aviation units. As more aircraft arrive back to the United States, they will see much more time planted on the flight line, and much less time in the air. This could prove costly to US forces and aviation strength in general, should another major conflict arise. Similar to the OH-58, the AH-64 is extremely costly to keep in the air, so cuts to training time would seem to be a quick fix to the current budget crisis, but the wound could burst open again should the need for attack helicopters increase. A transition of Apaches to active units would certainly seem to make our standing army seem stronger, but with less flight hours, would Apache pilots be prepared to take on the job if need be. So does this really make our standing army stronger? Only time will tell as the situation develops over the coming years with changes to funding and budget cuts.
It seems as if the Aviation branch will only get weaker as the United States tightens it’s budget belt despite changes to training platforms, and a reorganization of aviation units between active and National Guard units.