XBradTC

By

XBradTC

·

Pentagon budget 2017: USAF requests USD2.5 billion for UH-1N replacement, studies acquisition strategy | IHS Jane’s 360

Key Points The USAF is studying potential acquisition strategies to replace its UH-1N Twin Hueys The service is considering a sole-source contract for the portion of the fleet designated for ICBM security The US Air Force (USAF) has budgeted nearly USD2.5 billion over five years to replace its fleet of Bell UH-1N Twin Hueys and…

Key Points

  • The USAF is studying potential acquisition strategies to replace its UH-1N Twin Hueys
  • The service is considering a sole-source contract for the portion of the fleet designated for ICBM security

The US Air Force (USAF) has budgeted nearly USD2.5 billion over five years to replace its fleet of Bell UH-1N Twin Hueys and is considering a sole-source contract for the portion of the 72-aircraft requirement designated for security operations around its 450 Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile silos, according to a senior service official.

"About half the fleet supports the missile fields where ICBMs are," Lieutenant General Mike Holmes, USAF deputy chief of staff for strategic plans and requirements, said during a 18 February Air Force Association event.

"One of the things we're considering is splitting the missile field requirement off from the rest of the requirement, and then if we do that, we'll determine about whether we want to go sole-source or competition within that," he said.

via www.janes.com

This is part of what is so frustrating about the DoD procurement system. The endless studies over what is a relatively minor procurement that an O-6 program manager should be able to execute in one day.

Flip a coin. Buy new Blackhawks and piggyback off the existing Army multiyear buy (which would help drive down unit costs, by the way) while yielding a more capable platform, even if hourly operating costs are somewhat higher. That cost would be offset by lower maintenance costs per flight hour compared to the decrepit UH-1N fleet.

Alternatively, the Air Force could adopt the UH-72A Lakota for either both the missile support role and other uses, or split the mission. UH-60s for missile support, and UH-72s for other missions.

But no, we're going to spend a couple more years studying the problem.

Tags:

Response to “Pentagon budget 2017: USAF requests USD2.5 billion for UH-1N replacement, studies acquisition strategy | IHS Jane’s 360”

  1. Superheat

    You should see those pigs staggering around on a hot day with a security team onboard. It’s like a circus clown car with six guys with weps and full battle rattle stuffed in the back with a spare gas bag. I doubt the security forces really have the lift capacity to field a credible response to some kind of missile site attack. I’d say the Blackhawk is a no-brainer, therefore, they’ll probably buy a bunch of R-44’s.

    Like

Leave a comment