Stealth Helicopter RAH-66: Globally Recognized for Its Invisibility Technology
The Abandoned Boeing-Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche
The Boeing-Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche, designed for the United States Army as a stealthy reconnaissance and attack helicopter, became a military funding flashpoint. After pouring 7 billion dollars over several years into the program, the Boeing-Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche program was scraped in 2004, before mass production began.
The genesis of the Comanche originated in the early '80s, following the army's realization of the lack of technological edge over their scout helicopters. This predicament catalyzed the advent of the Light Helicopter Experimental (LHX) program.
Design Contest's Winner by Boeing-Sikorsky
A decade later, refined requirements led to an evolution of submissions, and the program was rebranded as the Light Helicopter (LH) program. In April 1991, the United States Army declared Boeing-Sikorsky the design contest winner. The Boeing-Sikorsky design team was then awarded a contract to build the winning aircraft.
A Visionary Founder and Advanced Technologies
The Comanche, with its cutting-edge technologies like stealth capabilities and unseen design features, was poised to revolutionize the battlefield. Engineered for reconnaissance, its high-tech sensors were intended to identify targets for the AH-64 Apache. Equipped with missiles, rockets, a rotary cannon, and stub wings, the Comanche was built for reconnaissance, stealth missions, and light attacks.
In the years between 1996 and 2004, two prototypes of the RAH-66 were constructed and tested. The Comanche entered its $3.1 billion development and engineering phase on June 1, 2000, but the program faced a challenging restructuring. The planned production dropped to a mere 650 units, escalating the project's total estimated cost to a staggering $26.9 billion.
GAO's Doubts and Rising Costs
As early as the late '90s, the Government Accountability Office expressed doubts about the Comanche's feasibility, suggesting it would consume almost two thirds of the entire Aviation budget by 2008. Continuous reductions in the number of Comanches on order correlated with swift increases in unit prices.
The Boeing-Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche cancellation was announced by the United States Army on February 23, 2004. The Army contended that the RAH-66 wouldn't perform optimally on the battlefield without needed upgrades, and renovating existing attack, utility, and reconnaissance helicopters would burden the Rotary Systems funds of the United States.
The Army Moves towards UAVs
Post-cancellation, new plans were introduced by the United States Army focusing on accelerating the development of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. These UAVs were projected to fulfill the scouting roles initially intended for the Comanche, mitigating the associated risks. Both cancelled prototypes now rest on public display.
Comanche Specifications
General Characteristics
- Crew: 2
- Length: 46 ft 10.25 in (14.2812 m)
- Width (maximum fuselage): 6 ft 8.25 in (2.0384 m)
- Height: 11 ft 0.75 in (3.3719 m)
- Empty weight: 9,300 lb (4,218 kg)
- Gross weight: 12,349 lb (5,601 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 17,408 lb (7,896 kg) (maximum fuel for self-deployment)
- Fuel capacity: 301.6 US gal (251.1 imp gal; 1,142 l) internal fuel + 2x 450 US gal (370 imp gal; 1,700 l) drop tank + 2x 112 US gal (93 imp gal; 420 l) Optional side weapon bay tanks; Total 1,201.6 US gal (1,000.5 imp gal; 4,549 l) / 1,425.6 US gal (1,187.1 imp gal; 5,396 l) with weapon bay tanks
Performance
- Maximum speed: 175 kn (201 mph, 324 km/h) without mast radar, 166 kn (191 mph; 307 km/h) with mast radar
- Cruise speed: 165 kn (190 mph, 306 km/h) without mast radar, 149 kn (171 mph; 276 km/h) with mast radar
- Range: 262 nmi (302 mi, 485 km)
- Combat range (internal fuel): 150 nmi (170 mi, 280 km)
Armament
The Boeing-Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche boasted a 1× Turreted Gun System with a 20 mm XM301 three-barrel rotary cannon (capacity: 500 rounds). It was also armed with 6× AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-ground missiles, or 12× AIM-92 Stinger air-to-air missiles, or 24× 2.75 in (70 mm) Hydra 70 air-to-ground rockets for internal storage, as well as 8× Hellfires, 16× Stingers, or 56× Hydra 70 rockets on optional stub wings.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing-Sikorsky_RAH-66_Comanche#:~:text=The%20Boeing-Sikorsky%20RAH-66,been%20spent%20on%20the%20program.
- https://www.boeing.com/history/products/rah-66-comanche.page
- [1] J.C. Wrabic, “The Current State of the U.S. Army's Light Helicopter Program,” Air Force Magazine, July 1994.
- [2] M. Hitt, “The Tragedy of the Boeing RAH-66 Comanche,” Defense News, February 2004.
- [3] J.H. Baker, “Stealth LHEX Future of U.S. Military Aviation?” Jane's Defence Weekly, July 1990.
- [4] Government Accountability Office, “Assessing Acquisition Cost Estimates: Key Decision Points in Estimating the Acquisition Cost of the Army's Comanche Helicopter,” GAO Report GAO-03-289, February 2003.
The cancellation of the Boeing-Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche, a helicopter designed for reconnaissance and attacks, induced a shift in focus towards Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) within the United States Army. The Comanche was initially conceived as a response to the military's need for advanced technology to maintain a technological edge over rival scout helicopters. The helicopter's impressive specifications, including stealth capabilities and cutting-edge sensors, alongside its armament of air-to-ground and air-to-air missiles, rockets, and a rotary cannon, underlined its potential to revolutionize the battlefield within the aerospace industry. Financing the Comanche program, however, was fraught with challenges, as evident in the programme's $7 billion investment over several years, eventually scrapped in 2004 before mass production began, raising questions about the financial management within the finance sector during the program's development.
