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from the thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump dept.
Ars Technica is reporting that the Italian-made MH-139 helicopter beat out two other bids to replace the UH-1 after the programme was put out for bidding.
Just in time to avoid the end of the fiscal year, the US Air Force has finally selected a successor to the aged UH-1 Hueys used by the Air Force's nuclear missile security force: the MH-139, a militarized version of the AgustaWestland AW139 from the Italian aerospace and defense company Leonardo. The MH-139 was a joint bid by Leonardo and Boeing and will be built in the United States at Leonardo's facilities in Philadelphia. The award this morning is for $375 million, covering delivery of the first four helicopters. But the overall program could be worth up to $2.4 billion, delivering up to 84 helicopters, as well as training systems and support equipment.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by VLM on Wednesday September 26 2018, @12:51PM
Not entirely wrong but its a little more complicated. The blackhawk upgrade in the late 70s was mission based; I wanna air assault or medevac platform better than a huey. The air force has baked billions of dollars of requirements into the design of their missile launch fields for decades; there's no operational gain by having longer range or more payload or whatever, in that the air force merely needs a 2000s era new model year huey to replace the old huey.
Put in horrible SN automobile analogy, lets say you're running an airport and you need ground vehicles to fuel planes and tow planes and deliver passengers. Currently in 1960 you use farm style pickup trucks and put tanks of gas (or jet-A, etc) in the back or use the tow hitch to haul little cessna-172s around the field or whatevs. The army comes along and says nice pickup truck but I want a new vehicle for fuel and tow that fits my mission needs exactly.. Now a civilian comes along and says "eh 4 wheels all the same" but its really a high tech tanker/tower vehicle the perfect companion for general aviation service. Meanwhile farmer Bob comes along in 2010 and says "I got an old pickup truck on my farm and I want a new pickup truck on my farm and thats a very nice airport tanker/Cessna tow vehicle, but I want a new pickup truck because my whole farm is built around pickup truck mission and capabilities and I'm not turning my farm into an airport anytime soon. Not that I mind if its cheaper to maintain or more fuel efficient or more reliable, but I need a pickup truck not a airplane tender." So the company that made his Ford 1955 pickup truck designs a new pickup truck in 2000 and farmer bob buys it without even seriously considering the airport vehicle.