Military Helicopter Modernization: Background and Issues for Congress (CRS Report for Congress)
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| Release Date |
June 24, 2004 |
| Report Number |
RL32447 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
Christian F.M. Liles and Christopher Bolkcom, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
Summary:
Recent military operations, particularly those in Afghanistan and Iraq, have brought to the fore
a
number of outstanding questions concerning helicopters in the U.S. armed forces, including
deployability, safety, survivability, affordability, and operational effectiveness. These concerns are
especially relevant, and made more complicated, in an age of "military transformation," the "global
war on terrorism," and increasing pressure to rein in funding for the military, all of which provide
contradictory pressures with regard to DOD's large, and often complicated, military helicopter
modernization efforts. Despite these questions, the military use of helicopters is likely to hold even,
if not grow. This report includes a discussion of the evolving role of helicopters in military
transformation.
The Department of Defense (DOD) fields 10 different types of helicopters, which are largely
of 1960s and 1970s design. This inventory numbers approximately 5,500 rotary-wing aircraft, not
including an additional 144 belonging to the Coast Guard, and ranges from simple "utility"
platforms such as the ubiquitous UH-1 "Huey" to highly-advanced, "multi-mission" platforms such
as the Air Force's MH-53J "Pave Low" special operations helicopter and the still-developmental
MV-22B "Osprey" tilt-rotor aircraft.
Three general approaches can be taken to modernize DOD's helicopter forces: upgrading
current platforms, rebuilding current helicopter models (often called recapitalization), or procuring
new models. These approaches can be pursued alone, or concurrently, and the attractiveness or
feasibility of any approach or combination of approaches depends largely on budgetary constraints
and operational needs. In some cases, observers argue that upgrades to helicopter sub-systems,
especially radar, communications, and targeting systems, are the most cost effective way to satisfy
current helicopter requirements. Others argue that while upgrades are cost effective in some cases,
today's helicopters are sufficiently aged to require re-building, a more involved modernization
approach.
The modernization programs outlined in this paper suggest a number of issues that may
compete for congressional attention. These issues include 1) budgetary concerns (Helicopter
modernization plans and programs described in this paper would account for approximately $34.6
billion in spending between FY2005 and FY2009), 2) impact on overall force structure, 3) whether
there is adequate coordination among the Services, 4) how modernization may effect the helicopter
industrial base, and 5) a number of operational considerations such as whether the envisioned
programs will adequately improve operational shortcomings identified in recent conflicts such as
deployability, reliability, and survivability.
This report will be updated as events warrant.
