NASHVILLE, Tenn. –The Army is awaiting official Pentagon approval for its work on an Armed Aerial Scout (AAS), the program executive officer for aviation said.
An Analysis of Alternatives is about to be signed off for “sufficiency” of a validated need for manned reconnaissance, and the the only way to get there is full scale development, said Maj. Gen. Tim Crosby at a press briefing here at the Army Aviation Association of America annual conference.
“We can’t have everything,” Crosby said.
With Aviation Branch Chief Maj. Gen. Anthony Crutchfield, officials have come up with a strategy “we believe is achievable.” That is, to take risk in AAS and focus on Future Vertical Lift capability, with an aimpoint of 2030, he said.
A consensus of Army officials is that something has to be done to move forward on manned reconnaissance beyond the venerable, Vietnam-era OH-58 Kiowa produced by Bell Helicopter [TXT].
Bell this week said as part of the OH-58D wartime replacement aircraft cabin program it has received a contract for nonrecurring engineering and a new metal cabin.
Crosby said there are several options for AAS. “One, do nothing,” but that is not a “sustainable” option.
Another option is the Cockpit and Sensor Upgrade Program, or CASUP, for the Kiowa, but that only deals with obsolescence, he said. The service also has budgeted for a service life extension program (SLEP).
The Army hasn’t had a new helicopter since the 2004 termination of Comanche and the 2006 termination of the Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter.
“There will be a (Defense Acquisition Board) DAB April 23, to give us the authority to release the (Request for Information) RFI, to start down the path” toward AAS, Crosby said.
“I anticipate five vendors and plan an industry after the RFI,” he said.
Potential vendors would include Sikorsky [UTX], European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. (EADS), Boeing [BA] Bell Helicopter and MD Helicopters Inc.
Then what will happen is a demonstration of company helicopter offerings, “not–repeat not–a fly off,” Crosby said. All candidates will fly the same scenarios.
The Army wants to know the difference between the AAS requirement and a Kiowa SLEP to see if it’s worth “taxing” another system in the aviation portfolio, Crosby said.
That means, he said, not just the cost to buy the new aircraft, but to put it into the sustainment system, add in the cost of training, and retiring the old system, he said.
Once that’s nailed down, the Army can make decisions on the way forward.
However, Crosby said, if a company isn’t part of the demonstration, it doesn’t mean it can’t compete if AAS becomes a competitive program.