Discover how cancelling the RAH-66 Comanche spurred vital tech advancements, including drone control, ultimately shaping future Army combat capabilities.
By Kris Osborn, Warrior
The cancellation of the famous stealthy RAH-66 Comanche helicopter swept the Pentagon acquisition world by storm, as it signified what seemed like an abrupt end to a promising and much needed next-generation technology. Many criticized the decision, expressing concern that Army aviation would linger in a haze of mediocrity and fall dangerously behind aggressive, fast-modernizing rivals, in large measure because the Comanche incorporated a series of breakthrough technologies expected to inspire a new generation of tactics and attack possibilities.
Great Decision?
Upon reflection however, the Army showed great resilience weathering the storm of criticism that its acquisition community could not deliver large-scale new, high-tech programs and intelligently redirected funds into a series of current and future technology platforms. What may have initially been understood as an ill-advised move to save budget dollars, wound up in retrospect becoming regarded as an intelligent and forward-thinking decision which shaped a successful series of weapons and technology innovations.
In an initial and immediate sense, much of the technological progress achieved with the $7 billion spent on investment, prototyping and construction of Comanche was harvested for key future technologies such as the Army’s Paladin PIM self-propelled Howitzer. The Army’s Non-Line-of-Sight Cannon built for Future Combat Systems used electric drive technology and digital computing originally designed for the Comanche. Comanche funds were also correctly redirected toward a new generation of emerging threats, such as the rise of next-generation networking and drone attacks. The Army upgraded its Apache attack helicopter with a new 701D ITEP advanced, fuel efficient engine, added composite rotorblades, integrated new targeting sensors and a breakthrough ability to develop manned-unmanned teaming.
Manned-Unmanned Teaming?
The Army was among the first to deploy with manned-unmanned teaming wherein Kiowa Scout helicopters and Apache /attack helicopters were able to control the flight path and sensor payload of drones from the cockpit. This deployed in Afghanistan earlier than 2009 and came to be known as MUM-T, a collection of technologies and tactics which enabled Apache pilots to identify critical targets through drones even before taking off. This expedited targeting and streamlined the kill chain so Apache crews could lower their risk of being exposed to enemy hostile fire. During the war in Afghanistan, the Army used Apache helicopters to control Grey Eagle drones to find targets, conduct forward reconnaissance and send real-time video data directly to the cockpit of the helicopter. This successful use of MUM-T was a lesser known example of how the Army was more than a decade ahead of what became a global military focus upon manned-unmanned teaming.
Future Vertical Lift
Perhaps most of all, Comanche funds were successfully redirected into a promising long term program which has now come to life called Future Vertical Lift. Sure enough, the Comanche cancellation did not stifle innovation but rather enabled, inspired and launched a new generation of technology now airborne with the Future Long Range Attack Aircraft (FLRAA) tiltrotor platform. The Textron Bell-Helicopter MV-75 FLRAA is a paradigm-changing tiltrotor aircraft able to reach airplane speeds of 280 knots and hover and maneuver with helicopter-like agility. The MV-75 is now a fully operational platform, yet its conceptual and technological development can be traced to dollars redirected from the Comanche cancellation.
Kris Osborn is the President of Warrior Maven – Center for Military Modernization. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a highly qualified expert in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University