Not Good News

The AP is now reporting that the Army is poised to cancel the Comanche attack helicopter program, maybe as early as this afternoon.

I don't like this news on several different levels.

First, I think it is a bad move in that it leaves the front line attack/recon helicopter as the Apache. The Apache is an amazing machine, but it is starting to get dated. You can upgrade it only so many times before you simply start to run into the limitations of the design. I've got to believe that for as long as the Apache has been around, we've got to be approaching the limit.

Second, the Comanche was designed to be a stealthier helicopter than the Apache, which would hopefully lead to fewer crew losses and fewer airframe losses in combat. With our shrinking military forces, survivability has to be of paramount concern. The Comanche addressed that concern to a degree.

And finally I don't like it on a personal level. Remember the job offer from a week or so ago? I'm still going through the final pre-hire stuff, and this company is one that would definitely feel an effect from the cancellation - in the Orlando location even. It would really suck if I effectively get laid off before I even make it to my first day. I don't think that the loss of Comanche would be enough to cause that, but it is a concern I have to keep in the back of my mind.

Someone in the Pentagon seems to be incredibly short-sighted. It seems like every new weapon system that is coming to fruition, and looks like it might be a real leap forward, seems to be getting cancelled or scaled back. During the Reagan years our front line aircraft were the F-14, the F-15, the F-16, the F-18, the Apache, the B-1B, and the B-52. Since then the only two additions are the F-117 and the B-2. We still rely on aircraft that weren't quite state of the art 20 years ago. At some point, the rest of the world will catch up.

This was not a good move.