Monday, June 27, 2022
  • About us
    • Write for us
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms of use
    • Privacy Policy
  • RSS Feeds
  • Advertise with us
  • Contact us
DefenceTalk
  • Home
  • Defense News
    • Defense & Geopolitics News
    • War Conflicts News
    • Army News
    • Air Force News
    • Navy News
    • Missiles Systems News
    • Nuclear Weapons
    • Defense Technology
    • Cybersecurity News
  • Military Photos
  • Defense Forum
  • Military Videos
  • Military Weapon Systems
    • Weapon Systems
    • Reports
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Defense News
    • Defense & Geopolitics News
    • War Conflicts News
    • Army News
    • Air Force News
    • Navy News
    • Missiles Systems News
    • Nuclear Weapons
    • Defense Technology
    • Cybersecurity News
  • Military Photos
  • Defense Forum
  • Military Videos
  • Military Weapon Systems
    • Weapon Systems
    • Reports
No Result
View All Result
DefenceTalk
No Result
View All Result

Aging Kiowa, Vertical UAS Among Army Aviation Challenges

by Army News Service
January 17, 2012
in Army News
3 min read
0
Aging Kiowa, Vertical UAS Among Army Aviation Challenges
14
VIEWS

Probably by this summer, the Army will be floating a new idea past the troops for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.

Not a program of record, but something the Army expects to test in Afghanistan this summer, the Long Endurance Multi-Intelligence Vehicle. It’s a hybrid air vehicle — like a blimp — that can carry multiple ISR payloads for more than 21 days at altitudes greater than 22,000 feet.

While discussing efforts to resource and transform Army aviation during the Association of the United States Army Aviation Symposium and Exposition just outside Washington, D.C., Jan. 12, Lt. Gen. Robert P. Lennox, deputy chief of staff, Army G-8, touched on the future of vertical take-off and landing unmanned aerial systems.

The general said Army aviation has a “good path” for vertical UAS. “We are using overseas contingency operations dollars and we are hustling systems to theater and we hope to learn from that.”

The LEMV, developed by Northrop Grumman, “has got some real promise,” the general said. “We will see the value of the persistent stare that that gives us.”

Other VTOL capabilities the Army is looking at include the Boeing A160 Hummingbird. “It’s wonderful not being tied to a long runway,” Lennox said. And the platform’s long endurance and “pretty good stare capability when teamed with some of the latest sensors … I think it can give us some powerful capabilities.”

Where such pieces of equipment can go in the Army, or if the Army can even afford them, remains to be seen, he said. “We think it’ll help in Afghan significantly.”

Lt. Gen. William N. Phillips, with the Army Acquisition Corps and the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology, said the Army must consider vertical UAS “through an affordability lens. What does this provide to the Army, what capability could it provide and then again how much does it cost?”

Lennox said the Kiowa Warrior fleet is now about 35 years old, on average. The rest of the helicopters in Army aviation are about 15-20 years old, and have been “used at incredible rates over the last ten years,” he said.

The general said Congress and industry have helped reset the fleet. “But we haven’t fixed the age of the fleet, and the one that stands out like a sore thumb is the Kiowa Warrior; we have to figure out something to do with that.”

Two options for that aircraft include continuation of the Cockpit And Sensor Upgrade Program along with the Service Life Extension Program. “We can do that now,” he said and “relatively cheaply.” That option, he said, comes to between $2.9 and $4.1 billion. Another option — developing a replacement — might run as much as $12 billion. “My challenge for the Army is how do you afford that?” Lennox said.

Challenges for Army aviation, Lennox said, also include modernizing an Army fleet that continues to be used at historical rates and will likely continue to be used that way.

It will be a challenge to fix existing shortages, Lennox said, like the Kiowa Warrior. One solution might be to develop an Armed Aerial Scout to replace the Kiowa Warrior, he said.

Other challenges included: multi-year contracts, modernization of unmanned aerial systems, incrementally improving aircraft, and developing the right aviation force structure.

Right now, said Col. Patrick Tierney, director of Army Aviation, the Army’s aviation portfolio is in “good health.” About seven percent of the Army force is aviation — though it is an expensive part. There are currently 12 active-component combat aviation brigades, with a 13th coming. There are also eight reserve-component CABs. The Army has about 3,850 rotary aircraft, about 350 fixed-wing aircraft and more than 5,000 vehicles total of all sizes among its unmanned aerial systems.

Phillips said the Army has experienced “exponential growth in UAVs,” and the growth, he said, has been successful. “The ground brigade commanders, battalion commanders, company commanders — have learned how to use UAVs in the most extraordinary ways, to extend their ability to achieve a situational awareness on the battlefield.”

The Army’s fiscal year 2012 investment portfolio includes $2 billion for utility helicopters, including variants of the UH-60 Black Hawk; about $700 million for UAS; over $1 billion for attack helicopters and about $1.5 billion for the CH-47 Chinook. The Army expects to buy about 68 UH-60 Black Hawk variants in the next year, 47 CH-47 Chinooks, 19 Block III Apaches, and 39 of the light utility helicopters.

There’s “considerable investment in FY12, and it’s going to pay off for us,” Lennox said.

Tags: A160A160 HummingbirdafghanistanAir VehicleArmy & Security Forces NewsArmy Aviationaviationboeingintelligencenorthrop grummanreconnaissancesurveillance
Previous Post

F-35 JSF Flight Tests Highlight New Problems, Risks of Excessive Concurrency

Next Post

Sweden Proposes Common Nordic Air Space

Related Posts

US, Morocco launch vast military exercise

US, Morocco launch vast military exercise

June 23, 2022

The United States and Morocco on Monday launched the vast annual "African Lion" military exercise, amid heightened tensions between the...

East Africa army chiefs discuss regional force for east DR Congo

East Africa army chiefs discuss regional force for east DR Congo

June 8, 2022

East African army chiefs held discussions Tuesday on establishing a regional military force to restore security in eastern Democratic Republic...

Next Post
Sweden to Increase Aeronautical Research

Sweden Proposes Common Nordic Air Space

Latest Defense News

Kyiv says US precision artillery systems arrived in Ukraine

Kyiv says US precision artillery systems arrived in Ukraine

June 24, 2022
US Navy Kicks Off ICEX 2020

Russia and China eye NATO’s ‘Arctic Achilles heel’

June 24, 2022
Defense, Energy Experts Aid China’s Nuclear Security

Russian gas threat revives German nuclear power debate

June 23, 2022
AI Improves Robotic Performance in DARPA’s Machine Common Sense Program

AI Improves Robotic Performance in DARPA’s Machine Common Sense Program

June 23, 2022
Russia deploys most advanced air defences at army drills

Estonia accuses Russia of ‘escalatory’ actions

June 23, 2022
US, Morocco launch vast military exercise

US, Morocco launch vast military exercise

June 23, 2022

Defense Forum Discussions

  • Australian Army Discussions and Updates
  • Royal Australian Navy Discussions and Updates 2.0
  • The Russian-Ukrainian War Thread
  • GMAP AVIATION VIDEO COLLECTION / Afghan Helicopters leaving the Boneyard / AMARG
  • Germany
  • Middle East Defence & Security
  • Indonesian Aero News
  • Russia and the West
  • Argentina Air Force News and Discussion
  • Russian Navy Discussions and Updates
DefenceTalk

© 2003-2020 DefenceTalk.com

Navigate Site

  • Defence Forum
  • Military Photos
  • RSS Feeds
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Contact us

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Defense News
    • Defense & Geopolitics News
    • War Conflicts News
    • Army News
    • Air Force News
    • Navy News
    • Missiles Systems News
    • Nuclear Weapons
    • Defense Technology
    • Cybersecurity News
  • Military Photos
  • Defense Forum
  • Military Videos
  • Military Weapon Systems
    • Weapon Systems
    • Reports

© 2003-2020 DefenceTalk.com