Marines' beloved chopper replacement at risk.

• Author: Parsons, Dan
• Position: United States Marine Corp.'s new UH-1Y helicopter

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION NEW RIVER, N.C.--Already dressed in their green flight suits, two Marine corporals are hours away from trading in their forty-something helicopters for a faster, meaner version--as if they were handing in the keys to a classic Camaro for the latest, high-performance model.

For Cpl. Lauren von Tersch and Lance Cpl. Aaron Oldham, the afternoon's training flight will be their first ride in the latest version of the Marine Corps's standby utility helicopter, the UH-1Y, or Yankee, newly landed at the Jacksonville, N.C, installation.

"It's like going from a Harley to a crotch rocket," said von Tersch, using the slang term for a racing motorcycle.

Whichever metaphor they use to describe the new aircraft, emphasis is placed on power.

Oldham instead thought of muscle cars as a suitable stand-in for the evolution of the "Huey" line built by Bell Helicopter.

"On the old one you're always fussing with the engine and tweaking all the technical stuff but it can still get out there and kick some ass," Oldham said.

It's obvious the dual-rotor UH-lN's beefed-up, more capable replacement has gained the admiration of its newest Crew-members. But they still speak in hushed tones about the Yankee's predecessor, which has flown in every conflict since first ferrying Marines in the 1960s.

The Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 167 here has had to watch its West Coast counterparts fly them in combat for more than a year. It is the first East Coast unit to receive Yankees and now has four on the flight line. The newest arrived Nov. 17.

How many they will ultimately receive is uncertain, as helicopter modernization competes for scant funding with other Marine Corps procurement programs.

In all, the Marine Corps wants to buy about 160 UH-lYs; though the first few were rebuilt November models, according to a July 2011 report by the Teal Group, a Northern Virginia-based industry research firm. It also has plans to buy 123 new AH-1Z Cobra attack helicopters, as part of a total $12 billion overhaul of the Marine Corps helicopter fleet. Yankees run about $21 million apiece.

The F-35B Joint Strike Fighter and V-22 Osprey are high on the Marine Corps' wish list despite consistent cost overruns and developmental problems. They could trump plans to replace helicopters, said Richard Aboulafia, an industry analyst with the Teal Group.

The UH-IY program is a very solid upgrade, but the Marine Corps has an incredibly ambitious aviation upgradeplan." Aboulafia said. "The V-22 and F-35 are tip-of-the-spear platforms that take...