US Department of Defense plans for the future of AN-64 and OH-58 helicopters
The article "Killing the Kiowa and Digging from Disarray" by Robert F Dorr, published in the February issue of Air International magazine, provides some details about the Pentagon’s plans for the Boeing AH-64 Apache and Bell OH-58 Kiowa Warrior helicopters.
Thus, the future plans assume the cancellation of the existing reconnaissance helicopters OH-58D and the cessation of work on the modernization program of these helicopters according to the OH-58F variant. This should apply to 338 helicopters of ground forces and 30 - National Guard. The tasks of OH-58 are supposed to be transferred to combat helicopters AN-64Е that will perform the functions of a light reconnaissance helicopter. To compensate for the drop-out OH-58D, the National Guard will transfer its Apaches to the ground forces, and then, in turn, will receive Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk as a substitute.
At present, the total number of AH-64 in the US military reaches 810 units - of which it was planned to have 690 AH-64E (570 in the Army, 72 in the National Guard and 48 in reserve), and 120 AH-64D in the National Guard. According to the proposed plans, all 690 AH-64E will be transferred to the ground forces, and non-modernized AH-64D will be written off. Thus, the reserve, in principle, loses the Apache helicopters.
As for OH-58D, the manufacturer, Bell Helicopters, claims that its combat readiness level reaches 85%, which is higher than the average for American military aircraft (72%). The OH-58D raid under combat conditions reaches 820 thousand hours. In peacetime, the average monthly raid on a helicopter is 20 hours, but on missions to hot spots like Afghanistan, it reaches an average 80-100 hours.
Representatives of the army command did not respond to the request of "Air International" regarding the cost of flight hours. But according to the data released in 2011, the OH-58D flight hour was 2355 dollars, UH-60M - 3648 dollars and AH-64D - 5971 dollars. According to the calculations of the army command, the cost of the annual operation of the Apache by 1 million dollars . exceeds that of the light helicopter UH-72 Lacota.
Land Forces plans also provide for the decommissioning of Bell TH-67 Creek helicopters, which are used for the training and education of pilots. Their place should take 204 Eurocopter UH-72A, transferred from the Army Aviation and the National Guard.
Helicopter Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian Army aviation USA. January 2014 (c) Kenneth Armijo / airliners.net
Thus, the future plans assume the cancellation of the existing reconnaissance helicopters OH-58D and the cessation of work on the modernization program of these helicopters according to the OH-58F variant. This should apply to 338 helicopters of ground forces and 30 - National Guard. The tasks of OH-58 are supposed to be transferred to combat helicopters AN-64Е that will perform the functions of a light reconnaissance helicopter. To compensate for the drop-out OH-58D, the National Guard will transfer its Apaches to the ground forces, and then, in turn, will receive Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk as a substitute.
At present, the total number of AH-64 in the US military reaches 810 units - of which it was planned to have 690 AH-64E (570 in the Army, 72 in the National Guard and 48 in reserve), and 120 AH-64D in the National Guard. According to the proposed plans, all 690 AH-64E will be transferred to the ground forces, and non-modernized AH-64D will be written off. Thus, the reserve, in principle, loses the Apache helicopters.
As for OH-58D, the manufacturer, Bell Helicopters, claims that its combat readiness level reaches 85%, which is higher than the average for American military aircraft (72%). The OH-58D raid under combat conditions reaches 820 thousand hours. In peacetime, the average monthly raid on a helicopter is 20 hours, but on missions to hot spots like Afghanistan, it reaches an average 80-100 hours.
Representatives of the army command did not respond to the request of "Air International" regarding the cost of flight hours. But according to the data released in 2011, the OH-58D flight hour was 2355 dollars, UH-60M - 3648 dollars and AH-64D - 5971 dollars. According to the calculations of the army command, the cost of the annual operation of the Apache by 1 million dollars . exceeds that of the light helicopter UH-72 Lacota.
Land Forces plans also provide for the decommissioning of Bell TH-67 Creek helicopters, which are used for the training and education of pilots. Their place should take 204 Eurocopter UH-72A, transferred from the Army Aviation and the National Guard.
Information