The Department of War is evaluating a reform concept that would sharply reduce or halt the purchase of new piloted helicopters for the U.S. Army beginning in the second half of the decade, according to individuals familiar with internal discussions.
The concept under review focuses on maintaining and upgrading the current helicopter fleet while transitioning funding and force structure toward uncrewed strike, reconnaissance, and logistics platforms.
I'll need persuasion to say this is a mistake.
Not that crewed helicopters will be gone. But they will be on the path of being phased out as the uncrewed versions gain capabilities to match the current helicopters--but without the risk to crews.
Of course, I don't expect the cost of these new robotic platforms to be significantly cheaper (and they could be more expensive at least at first) than what we have now.
And they will be remotely piloted (or programmed), so the personnel requirement may not be reduced even if the personnel are safer.
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NOTE: I made the image with Bing.
