Re: Would the AH-6J (Little Bird make a good, low cost, helicopter for force protection?

[John Hairell]

On Mon, 17 May 2004 00:10:37 -0400, "Kevin Brooks"
> wrote:

>

>> >
>> Not in units but I hear the Arizona desert has many, many Loach
>> frames/fuselages laying in the desert just waiting to be
>overhauled/rebuilt.
>
>You are joking, right? The last Loaches left the Army years ago, and they
>are not going to be upgrading/rebuilding any of them, of that you can be
>assured. They are likely recycling them, though...
>


In actuality, the Army is still flying 8 V-tailed OH-6As, as MH-6Cs.
They are part of the SOATC.

As for the rest, they are mostly gone. Over 900 were lost in RVN
alone. The largest current user of OH-6As is the Border Patrol.

John Hairell )

[Kevin Brooks]

"John Hairell" > wrote in message
...
> On Mon, 17 May 2004 00:10:37 -0400, "Kevin Brooks"
> > wrote:
>
> >
>
> >> >
> >> Not in units but I hear the Arizona desert has many, many Loach
> >> frames/fuselages laying in the desert just waiting to be
> >overhauled/rebuilt.
> >
> >You are joking, right? The last Loaches left the Army years ago, and they
> >are not going to be upgrading/rebuilding any of them, of that you can be
> >assured. They are likely recycling them, though...
> >
>
>
> In actuality, the Army is still flying 8 V-tailed OH-6As, as MH-6Cs.
> They are part of the SOATC.

You know, after I wrote that I started recalling that I had seen an article
somewhere that indicated they had redesignated a handful for the 160th SOAR
folks to use in training.

>
> As for the rest, they are mostly gone. Over 900 were lost in RVN
> alone. The largest current user of OH-6As is the Border Patrol.

I think some local law enforcement organizations got some, too, through the
reutilization process for military equipment. I thought the last "regular"
OH-6 left the ARNG about five years or more ago?

Brooks

>
> John Hairell )