U.S Army may switch to a larger aircraft for it's Aerial Common Sensor

U.S. Army May Switch to Larger Airframe for ACS

By GOPAL RATNAM
August 29, 2005

Just a year after selecting a team led by Lockheed Martin to develop a new family of spy planes, the U.S. Army and its contractors are about to switch aircraft.

The change could mean delays and more costs, but it was inevitable, Army officials say, regardless of the industrial team selected for the Aerial Common Sensor (ACS) program. Exhaustive program analysis, which led to the decision to change the airplane, was expected to be done only after the contract was awarded, Army and Lockheed Martin officials said.

Army officials are currently evaluating proposals by Lockheed Martin to switch its original choice of the Embraer RJ-145 airplane to a larger aircraft — the RJ-190 — because the smaller aircraft would not accommodate all the electronics the Army wants on board.

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So what if it might be delayed a year or two, at least they would have a platform that met all of their needs.

It's about time they got a replacement for the RC-12s. I don't know how they got anyone onboard those things with everything crammed into them.

I can see why they want to switch. The RJ-145 is not much bigger than the RC-12.

Ever seen their Greyhound transport? To give you an idea, the crews call it the Anaheim Sewer Pipe, because apparently that's exactly how big around the fuselage is.