NEWS: Army scraps Comanche helicopter project

WASHINGTON - $8 billions down the drain.
Today, the US ARMY decided to CANCEL the RAH-66 Comanche Stealth helicopter program. Although the decision didn't came as a surprize to many, it still remains one of the biggest cancellations in the history of the US army.



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The Army has decided to cancel its Comanche helicopter program, a multi-billion-dollar project to build a new-generation chopper for armed reconnaissance missions, officials said Monday

The contractors for Comanche are Boeing Co. and Sikorsky Aircraft Corp.

With about $8 billion already invested in the program, and the production line not yet started, the cancellation is one of the largest in the history of the Army. It follows the Pentagon's decision in 2002 to cancel the Crusader artillery program -- against the wishes of Army leaders.

Pentagon officials said a public announcement was planned for Monday afternoon.

Related ATS discussions
comanche
RAH-66

Related websites
Air-Attack.com fact sheet
AboveTopSecret.com
GlobalSecurity.org
Boeing.com
Army-technology.com


[Edited on 23-2-2004 by Zion Mainframe]

[Edited on 23-2-2004 by Zion Mainframe]

[Edited on 24-2-2004 by Zion Mainframe]

[Edited on 24-2-2004 by SkepticOverlord]

thats about stupid but the only reason i can see them canceling this is if they have something better and thats old technology. I mean we have a workin prototype and alll just has yet to be in full scale production. Leaves me alil skeptical. Helicopters a thing of the past?

WHAT?! That just makes me mad. The Comanche was the coolest helicopter ever.

I am definitely not believing this until they have it officially announced
too much has been invested

Whoa... would really be a pity

www.foxnews.com... more

The UAV has progressed to such an extent that the Comanche is no longer required for forward armed recon mission - its cheaper and safer with the UAV, especially the newer armed versions.

[Edited on 23-2-2004 by Phoenix]

I cant believe this. I am pissed! Spending my tax dollars like that and I cant even get the frucken 405 freeway widened. Then they scrap it. It's just like Hubble, billions, then they say oh we dont need that anymore. What a waste of money. I loved this chopper.

6+ year's in development
8 billion dollars invested
most advanced helecopter ever..


look on the american tax payer's face when its canceled

PRICELESS

Theory: won't they continue this as black project, with more advanced, currently not known to the public tech?

What a waste of money. I thought the bush admin. cancelled the crusader project because they believe air power would be the way and now they cancelled the comanche. What are they thinking?

Wow, that sucks. Probably going to make the tribute motorcycle they made on American Chopper (Discovery Channel) far more valuable.

Seriously though...lame.

it was meant to be....nothing to be done about that.
a helicopter gunship can only do so much, and unless they were to create a "harrier" hybrid-copter, then i doubt there's anymore room for any additional specs to be added to the comanche.
Cyrus.

hhmmm.... a v-22 with commanche technology now that would be cool

Not surprising to me. It seemed a bit overkill, having a bird that's so similar to the Apache. The UAV can do some of what it was intended to do.

I hate it for the 400 brother Local 1150 Teamsters that are going to be without the project.

I do remember hearing some of the folks out at Ft. Rucker talking about the difficulty of adding all the extra bells and whistles the Army kept on wanting added.

I got to see the one down in Florida a few weeks ago, that is at the WPB facility. Guess I would've taken pictures had I known it was going to get the axe!

OMFG

THey spend BILLIONS on that program

"WASHINGTON � The Army has decided to cancel its Comanche helicopter (search) program, a multibillion-dollar project to build a new-generation chopper for armed reconnaissance missions, officials said Monday."

Can't they make some stripped down version to sell to other countries?

I guess it doesn't work that way in the military business.

WHY?!!?!?!!??!?!?!!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Check out www.globalsecurity.org...

The U.S. Army launched the Comanche armed scout helicopter program in 1983, and low-rate initial production of the craft was slated to begin in 2006.

The current estimated cost of the program, which has been in development for about two decades, was $38 billion, according to John Pike, director at GlobalSecurity.org, a defense policy research group.

U.S. lawmakers are expected to oppose ending the program. President Bush's fiscal 2005 budget included $1.2 billion for the Comanche.

Scrapping the program could result in termination fees of $2 billion to $4 billion being paid to Boeing and Sikorsky Aircraft, the United Technologies unit working on the Comanche, the sources said.