Thursday, October 04, 2012

Marine Air Power Gaggle...

A U. S. Marine Corps AH-1W Super Cobra helicopter with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron (HMLA) 367 provides security as two CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters from Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron (HMH) 463, Marine Aircraft Group 24 (MAG-24) perform a mid-air refuel demonstration from a C-130 Hercules aircraft during the 2012 Kaneohe Bay Airshow at Marine Corps Air Station, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, Sept. 30, 2012. MAG-24 took part in the three-day event featuring performances and demonstrations by both civilian and military aircraft. (DoD photo by Lance Cpl. Kevin Jones, U. S. Marine Corps /Released)
The above pic shows why I believe that the attack helicopter is on the way out when it comes to Marine Corps operations.  Every platform except for the Attack and Utility helos can be refueled in air extending there range.  The reach of the MEU can be extended by utilizing KC-130's and eventually by using the MV-22 in the aerial refueling role.  The AH-1Z will be the last attack helicopter in Marine Corps service.
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7 comments :

  1. AnonymousThursday, October 04, 2012 3:38:00 PM

    Wait.

    Do you mean the Cobra, the attack HELICOPTER, or the entire low cost VTOL offensive air category? If you are talking about the last two I believe that would be a disaster for the USMC.

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  2. SolomonThursday, October 04, 2012 3:41:00 PM

    just the attack helicopter. i believe the rest will survive and thrive...but the events in Libya revealed the shortcomings of attack helos.

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  3. AnonymousThursday, October 04, 2012 5:08:00 PM

    So what fill the low cost VTOL offensive air category? Have you looked into Sikorsky's S-97 Raider option and its offshoots? I'm hoping the Raider wins the Scout competition.

    http://defensetech.org/2011/10/11/sikorskys-next-gen-helos/

    http://defensetech.org/2012/01/12/sikorskys-bidding-plan-for-the-armys-scout-contest/

    http://defensetech.org/2011/10/13/dt-video-close-up-of-sikorskys-x2-coaxial-helo/

    http://defensetech.org/2011/07/28/s-97-construction-to-begin-in-a-month/

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikorsky_S-97_Raider

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikorsky_X2

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  4. SolomonThursday, October 04, 2012 5:11:00 PM

    yeah i've seen the raider but what i'm getting at is the fact that i'm not sure low speed rotary winged aircraft are survivable in the ATTACK role on the modern battlefield.

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  5. AnonymousThursday, October 04, 2012 5:51:00 PM

    Okay 240 knots isn't exactly low speed. But, compared to 900 it is I know. Anyway, what could possibly replace or take the role of an attack helicopter? Survivability is a crap shoot. Yeah an F-35B with the redundancy and toughness of an A-10 might be survivable but it certainly isn't affordable compared to a Raider-esque helicopter, Cobra or Apache.

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  6. BB1984Thursday, October 04, 2012 11:50:00 PM

    There's nothing about attack or utility helicopters that makes it impossible to refuel them; after all it's already been done with the MH-60L Black Hawk. Also a refueling probe was in the late design iterations of the Sea Apache back in '89.

    http://www.aviastar.org/helicopters_eng/mcdonnell_sea_apache.php

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  7. UnknownFriday, October 12, 2012 7:51:00 PM

    I assume the biggest reason attack helos do not mid-air refueling, i assume, is because having a giant bar poking out the front is undesirable for a multitude of reasons.

    I can't help but imagine there has to be a way to make those retractable these days though. Given that i think the attack helo has many generations left in it.

    ReplyDelete

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