Thu, May 10, 2012
Capital Spending Reduction Will Cut Helicopter Purchases
The U.S. military, and Army in particular, will be doing more with less due to the wars overseas winding down and the threat of a large funding cut come the first of the year. The U.S. defense budget is flat, and that means the Army and Marine Corps will not be buying many new helicopters going forward. Money that had been budgeted for new aircraft purchases will instead be used to maintain existing aircraft fleets. At an American Helicopter Society meeting in Forth Worth last week, Army Maj. Gen. Tom Crosby, responsible for overseeing the service’s aviation programs, referred to his $7.8 billion budget for fiscal 2012. “Anybody see that going up? Not me” he said referring to the DoD budget that faces a potential $50 billion cut in January.
The Star-Telegram reports that in addition to recapitalizing its Black Hawk fleet, the Army wants a new light scout helicopter to replace its OH-58s (pictured). The industry has rallied around the program; Eurocopter has joined with Lockheed Martin to build a prototype, as has Bell Helicopter. Sikorsky is planning two prototypes to use its X2 high speed technology. The Army is planning to hold a demonstration to see what the manufacturers have to offer, but Gen. Crosby is not optimistic that he can buy any of it. He said “As much as I want and need a new armed scout, it’s unaffordable.” The USMC is in slightly better shape than the Army, although V-22 Osprey purchases from 2013 through 2017 have already been cut – and this is before the looming January cuts.
The military will likely have money for aircraft upgrades and modifications, but probably not for new aircraft. This shifts the focus to aircraft component manufacturers who will have opportunities to repair and improve existing fleets. Troy Gaffey, president of AVX Aircraft of Fort Worth, sees the affordability push as a positive for his company's proposal to refit the Army's aging OH-58D scout helicopters with new rotor systems. The AVX plan would dramatically boost performance and improve safety at low cost, Gaffey said.
More News
Inversion to Launch Reentry Vehicle Demonstrator Aboard SpaceX Falcon 9 This fall, the aerospace startup Inversion is set to launch its Ray reentry demonstrator capsule aboard Spac>[...]
"We are excited to accelerate the adoption of electric aviation technology and further our journey towards a sustainable future. The agreement with magniX underscores our commitmen>[...]
"The journey to this achievement started nearly a decade ago when a freshly commissioned Gentry, driven by a fascination with new technologies and a desire to contribute significan>[...]
Aero Linx: OX5 Aviation Pioneers Each year a national reunion of OX5 Aviation Pioneers is hosted by one of the Wings in the organization. The reunions attract much attention as man>[...]
"Our driven and innovative team of military and civilian Airmen delivers combat power daily, ensuring our nation is ready today and tomorrow." Source: General Duke Richardson, AFMC>[...]