Battle brewing over future of army aviation programs.

AuthorInsinna, Valerie

(*) The approved 2014 Defense Department budget contained mostly good news and few surprises for Army aviation, but this may be the calm before the storm. The fiscal year 2015 budget is likely to spur a massive brawl between the Army and its National Guard component.

Army aviation leaders in January announced a proposal to mothball two of its helicopter fleets, replacing them with aircraft from the Army National Guard. The initiative has yet to be approved by President Barack Obama for inclusion in the Pentagon's 2015 budget, but Congress and advocacy organizations for the National Guard are already formulating ways to block it.

Army officials are considering the complete divestment of the OH-58 Kiowa Warrior and TH-67 training helicopter, announced Maj. Gen. Kevin Mangum, commanding general of the Aviation Center of Excellence and Fort Rucker.

AH-64E Apache aircraft teamed with Shadow and Gray Eagle unmanned aerial vehicles would take over the reconnaissance missions currently flown by the Kiowa. In order to have enough Apaches to perform both attack and scout roles, the Army's active component would take control of die Guard's entire fleet of 192 Apaches.In return, the Guard would get 111 hand-me-down UH-60 Black Hawks to be used for missions such as lift and medical evacuation.

TH-67s, meanwhile, would be replaced by about half of the Guard's UH-72 Lakota aircraft.

The move would cut a total of 898 OH-58A/C, OH-58D and TH-67 helicopters.

The National Guard Association of the United States slammed the plan, saying it would negatively affect the Guard and put its domestic missions at risk.

"The plan flies in the face of fiscal reality. Two studies done by Pentagon agencies tout the efficiencies found in the National Guard, which can perform the same missions as the active component for about one-third the cost," a statement from the association said. "The Army created its plan without significant input from National Guard state leaders, who understand the need for economic responsibility and are willing to accept reasonable cuts that do not

affect the dual-mission status of the force."

In response to the service's proposal, Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., introduced legislation that would freeze die transfer and divestiture of Army National Guard aircraft while a commission investigates Army force structure.

Even if the plan becomes part of the Pentagon's 2015 budget, analysts are skeptical that Congress would approve it. Political considerations, such as lawmakers' longstanding support for die National Guard, will likely prevent full divestment of the Kiowa Warrior, said Michael Blades, senior aerospace and defense analyst for...

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