Aviation projects run here to get Comanche funds
3/04/04
Alabama's senior senator got a commitment from Army officials Wednesday to earmark $14.6 billion in budget savings from the just-killed Comanche helicopter program for other aviation programs.
Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Tuscaloosa, pressed acting Army Secretary Les Brownlee to keep the money in Army aviation. Brownlee made that commitment to Shelby during a budget appropriations subcommittee meeting Wednesday, according to a news release from Shelby's office.
"I am pleased the Army, the White House, and the Office of Management and Budget have committed to ensuring that these funds will stay in Army Aviation accounts," Shelby said in the release. "This is extremely important to the continued success of Fort Rucker and Program Executive Office-Aviation in Huntsville."
About 400 people work on the Comanche program in Huntsville. Army managers estimate it will take about a year and cost $2.7 billion to shut down the helicopter program. Of the 220 Army employees who work on Comanche, none is expected to be laid off.
Shelby said the $14.6 billion is expected "to buy 800 new aircraft, overhaul 1,400 existing aviation systems, and greatly accelerate the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle program."
The Army plans to use the money to:
Buy UH-60 Black Hawk and AH-64 Apache helicopters. The Army has lost numerous Black Hawks and Apaches in the war in Iraq.
Design and develop improved Block III AH-64 Apaches. The Army wants to upgrade cockpit avionics and survivability of the more than 700 20-year-old attack helicopters.
Develop a lightweight utility helicopter. It would replace the Vietnam-era UH-1 Hueys now used by the National Guard.
Build advanced unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs. These could be controlled on ground or by another aircraft. In use daily over Iraq, the UAVs are performing missions traditionally done by scout aircraft.
Develop advanced avionics. In some aircraft, the gauges and instruments that pilots use date to the mid-1970s.
Improve aircraft survivability systems. Work is going on today to improve missile and radar threat detectors on Army helicopters, along with instruments that can fool enemy defenses.