Marines to Boost Helo Upgrade Program

[unhappycamper]

Marines to Boost Helo Upgrade Program
April 22, 2008
Military.com|by Kimberly Johnson

The Marine Corps is bulking up its attack helicopter fleet, increasing by 25 percent the number of helicopters it intends to include in a beleaguered H-1 upgrade program that had for years flirted with cancellation.

The plan to replace more UH-1N Hueys and AH-1W Cobras with upgraded UH-1Ys and AH-1Zs is a direct result of an initiative to expand the Corps by about 20,000 leathernecks, service officials said.

The Marine Corps now wants to expand its original procurement goal of 100 UH-1Ys to 123, and 180 AH-1Zs to 226 -- with all of the added aircraft being newly built rather than upgrades of the current fleet.

The helicopter overhauls -- through a mix of new production and remanufacturing -- include replacing the current two-bladed rotor systems found on the Huey and Cobra with a four-bladed system and installing a new digital cockpit. The laundry list of upgrades is expected to improve safety for the crew, increase their weapons capability and keep the helos flying longer.

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Defense analyst Loren Thompson of the Arlington, Va.-based Lexington Institute said the H-1 upgrade program has crossed the invisible threshold where now it would look foolish to give up on it.


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