Special ops forces face helicopter shortage

Government Executive ^ | 4/28/2010 | Megan Scully

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

Military officials on Tuesday acknowledged a helicopter shortfall plaguing Special Operations Forces, but said the Defense Department has a long-term plan to fill gaps in the in-demand force's aviation inventory.

The unpredictable security environment, with heavy deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan over the last several years, have strained special operators' helicopter assets, Gary Reid, deputy assistant Defense secretary for special operations and combating terrorism, told the House Armed Services Terrorism and Unconventional Threats Subcommittee.

The shortfall was exacerbated by early delays in fielding the Bell-Boeing CV-22 Osprey tilt rotor aircraft, as well as delays in modifying some of the special operations forces' aircraft.

"You can't just go down and buy some helicopters," Reid said. "The simple mechanics of it all necessitate a four-year lead-in."

Army Col. Vincent Reap, U.S. Special Operations Command's director of maritime and rotary wing assessment, told the panel that the fiscal 2011 budget request is a "good starting point for a longer term look at this valuable asset."

The budget request follows a series of reviews of the military's helicopter inventory over the past 18 months, including the Joint Staff's Review of Helicopter Assets and an Army-sponsored RAND study, that all concluded a shortfall in rotary-wing capabilities within the military.

The budget request, Reap said, proposes "a transition from shortfall to upward momentum in the SOF rotary wing and tilt rotor aircraft programs."

For fiscal 2011, the Pentagon is requesting $6.3 billion in the base budget for special operations, plus an additional $3.5 billion in the war-funding request.

Included in the request is money to pay for procurement funding of eight more Boeing MH-47G heavy-lift helicopters, which are being transferred from the Army and refurbished to meet Special Operational Command standards, as well as procurement dollars for 16 new Sikorsky MH-60M medium-lift helicopters.

[ExTexasRedhead]

DC has a shortage of spine, guts, and gonads.

[J Edgar]

And WINOs and/or TFRs in DOD have delayed Apache Block III development, production and deployment!

[El Gato]

DC has a shortage of spine, guts, and gonads.

Except when it comes to dealing with their political opponents, rather than the enemies of our country. I almost wrote "their" country, but I'm not so sure about that.

[El Gato]

One of the problems is "turbulence" in the many programs the Army and the other services have. Some of the turbulence is due to a painful shortage of funds in the R&D accounts. Lower level leaders rob Peter to pay Paul, which makes Peter take longer and cost more in the long run, requiring someone else be robbed to pay Peter. Their leadership, aided and abbetted by Congressmen seeing only pork, rather than programs vital to the nations security, don't make the hard decisions to canceling Peter and using his resources to make Paul healthy.

Thus, the whole system just sort of shakes, and nothing gets done well or even close to on time. Plus of course internal politics sometimes cancel and scrap a legacy system, *before* it's replacement is ready. Which really messes things up.

[shanover]

No big deal this is only a war for our future and survival.Obama and company seem to be in a race to scorch earth every segment of America that does not fit the marxist agenda.

[J Edgar]

Thanks for the more informed and detailed description of the processes involved, and I also believe that their are treasonous culprits involved at higher levels (DOD, STATE, and Congressional) too.