Eurocopter EC145 LUH

Posting for someone else:

Can anyone confirm for me the U.S. military designation of the
Eurocopter EC145 Light Utility Helicopter, or LUH, for the U.S. Army?

I'm pretty sure it's going to be the H-72. (The H-70 is the Bell 407
Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter; the H-71 is the AgustaWestland EH.101
for presidential transport). But I can't find confirmation anywhere. I
tried to reach somebody at Eurocopter or in the Army who could help. No
luck.

I'm also interested in any comments or opinions on the Army's current
helicopter program.

Is it okay to replace the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior with an aircraft (the
ARH-70A) that doesn't offer a mast-mounted sight? Meaning that the
aircraft has to pop up into the open and expose itself in order to aim
its weapons?

Is it okay to buy a utility helicopter (the EC145) that is specifically
intended to operate in a benign environment only?

Comments and opinions, please.

Is it okay to replace the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior with an aircraft (the
ARH-70A) that doesn't offer a mast-mounted sight? Meaning that the
aircraft has to pop up into the open and expose itself in order to aim
its weapons?


The mast mounted site on the Kiowa was designed to allow the scout
helicopter to peek over tree lines in Europe and light targets (like
Soviet tanks)

As the native male dogs are well aware of, trees are not plentiful in
the desert. However attacks from ground fired RPGs and small arms
fire is dense. Therefore the sensor package on the ARH-70 is mounted
on the bottom of the nose to provide 360 deg coverage below.

Have fun,

CTR

ARH is designed to focus on the urban fight and cover a gap where the
AH-64 has been shown to be weak. The NMS has a better advantage to
looking down. I don't believe this should be limited as a solution to
just the current "desert" theater or operations but viewed as a
solution for future urban fights as well.

With Bell as the contractor for the ARH, if the Army decides to later
modify the ARH with a MMS, who better to do the modification than the
contractor who worked the last version? (borrowed thought).

Linc

CTR wrote:
Is it okay to replace the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior with an aircraft (the
ARH-70A) that doesn't offer a mast-mounted sight? Meaning that the
aircraft has to pop up into the open and expose itself in order to aim
its weapons?


The mast mounted site on the Kiowa was designed to allow the scout
helicopter to peek over tree lines in Europe and light targets (like
Soviet tanks)

As the native male dogs are well aware of, trees are not plentiful in
the desert. However attacks from ground fired RPGs and small arms
fire is dense. Therefore the sensor package on the ARH-70 is mounted
on the bottom of the nose to provide 360 deg coverage below.

Have fun,

CTR