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It is in the breaking news sidebar!
Posted on 04/11/2003 9:39:08 AM PDT by Stand Watch Listen
FORT WORTH, Texas - The U.S. Army has rushed a handful of upgrades for the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter into the field in recent months, making the aircraft easier to deploy and extending its combat range by nearly an hour, according to industry and government officials.Several of the upgrades, part of the Apache's proposed Block 3 modernization program, weren't intended to be incorporated for several years. However, they became more urgent last fall as Pentagon leaders began planning the buildup of forces for an invasion of Iraq, Col. Ralph Pallotta, program director for the Apache program, said April 10.
The 101st Airborne Division had pressed Army leaders for the upgrades in the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, said Pallotta, who briefed reporters during the Army Aviation Association of America's annual convention here.
The most recent, and perhaps most significant, Apache upgrade to reach the field is air transportability kits, which arrived in Kuwait City only a few weeks ago, he said. The kits allow the Apache to be combat-ready within two hours after being unloaded from an Air Force C-17 or C-5, he said, replacing a process that previously took at least 24 hours.
The kits allow the Apache to deploy by air without dislodging the rotors and radar dome. Instead, the pieces are retracted to fit within the footprint of the Apache's engine nacelles, he said.
The kits also come with small hoists to move the rotors and radar dome back into position after being offloaded. Previously, several hours would be spent using a crane to mount the pieces back on the aircraft, he said.
More time is saved because the Army waived a requirement to perform flight tests on the aircraft after it is unloaded, Pallotta added. The flight tests are required only if aircraft components are removed during the loading process.
Air deployability kits for two more Apache battalions are being delivered next week, he said.
A strong criticism of the Apache since 1999 has been its slow deployment to Operation Allied Force, the 78-day air war against Yugoslavia. An Apache task force deploying from Germany arrived weeks later than expected and played no role in combat operations.
Auxiliary fuel system
An internal auxiliary fuel system, another upgrade accelerated into service last fall, reached the field in time for some Apache units to use them in combat in Iraq, Pallotta said.
Developed by Robertson Aviation, of Tempe, Ariz., the 100-gallon internal fuel tanks extend the aircraft's flight time by nearly 50 minutes. The full system includes a roughly 300-round magazine of 30mm ammunition, which replaces a space previously occupied by a 1,200-round magazine.
Robertson has delivered 110 of the fuel tanks since the Army accelerated the production line in November, said John R. Rawling, president and general manager of the company.
The Army also ordered instant meteorological kits that allow Apaches to perform satellite-guided instrument approaches in bad weather, using the Global Positioning System, Pallotta said.
The accelerated upgrades prompted the Army to shift funds from the procurement account for two upgrades for the combat mission simulator program, Pallotta said. Army leaders have assured Pallotta's staff, however, that the simulator funding would be restored.
Meanwhile, Army aviation officials continue to seek funds for the bulk of the proposed Block 3 modernization plan, which seeks to update Longbow Block 1 helicopters. Funding for the program is projected to begin in fiscal 2005, and a series of on-going budget drills for fiscal 2005 may determine the fate of the project.
"We will know by this summer how well that program will be funded," Pallotta said.
-- Stephen Trimble
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