We have money going to the OH-58D. Kiowa Warrior Life Support 2020 has been rolled into another program with a better name. I may or may not see the end result of it, but you most likely will. Have patience and keep the faith. Our only requirements are to be professional, and accurate in our reporting.
I will be interested to see what the 2020 gives us. I think big things: sight, engine, and weight reduction. You and I both know that for everything they take out they add something and we lose what weight we get back. I think that at the end of the day the Army is going to go away from helping us. I hope not. The problem is with only 10 squadrons, dropping ONSes we aren't loud enough. It seems our SCOs aren't making it to the upper levels of leadership either. Thats a problem when you have 64 guys up there making decisions. Finally we do a lot with ground forces that can't be quantified, think it would be missed with a UAS and won't be noticed until we are gone. I do not need color MFDs, or digital displays (they will be nice). I do want the radios, the new sight, and that new 50 isn't bad (needs some fixes). At least we are going to be an all R model fleet finally. I think its important to continue upgrades and work towards a better 58. I think this new bidding round in 2010 will make or break our future. I think I will finish in a 58D, possibly the F model. Hopefully nothing else, I love my job and our mission.
I wouldn't expect the bidding as early as 2010. If you have 12 years left, you are on the edge. You may have a chance to lead the charge with the new aircraft. I would love to end it with an OH-58F! At least then I would feel like I was going out with a bang, rather than a whimper.
I know a couple of the people working those issues for us at higher echelons and they are quality people, real meat-eaters who know the mission, and most importantly, what the aircraft needs to be better. I'm not saying it will be perfect, nothing ever is, but rather it will finally be a step in the right direction!
I agree, best thing we could do is take some CW2s/CW3s the guys who flew everyday, the guys who's only job is to fly it from Afghanistan, and Iraq or other areas and ask what could be improved and what we need to survive. I am fearful that another aircraft will be selected after bidding and the F model will be struck down, then after years of problems and over-budgeting the new aircraft is gone. I look around our community and I shake my head sometimes. Our guys with the go to war mentality are leaving for other opportunities, 160th, FW, CTCs, or other jobs that take them away from 58s. The good CPTs get out or become disenfranchised with the Army and give up. I am sure other communities feel the same but they are larger more robust. We get so rapped up in bright shiny color MFDs and ignore that the 64s sight is 20x more superior than ours and fight for one. I do have hope, but I have been around the Army long enough to know that the way it has been is probably the way it will be. Right now all I can affect is a troop level, teaching my guys the lessons I learned in Iraq for their next deployment. You have been through more ups and downs than I have so your optimism about the future is promising considering you have seen aircraft promises come and go. I have a feeling that if Sikzorsky is serious about their bid they might have a chance, it will be interesting to see the Eurocopter version too. I have heard the LUH is having some issues and has issues maybe doing what we do. Bell is probably done, but would be interesting if they submitted the F model or a more improved 58. That would probably be the cheapest option and if they could get their stuff together probably the right one to choose. I will be down at Rucker soon enough, so I am sure the rumors will be flying around about what we are getting and when. When I hear the good ones I'll let you know.
Oh, you're not gonna get me pontificating about how scouts need to go back to being scouts, and about how all the technology has hurt us as much as helped us...no, I will be strong and save that for another venue!
P.S. Color MFDs are required, because the kickass sight we're getting has color, and a higher resolution than our antiquated MFDs will be able to handle. And they weigh less than the current ones, too!
Originally posted by Crazyhorse30: Oh, you're not gonna get me pontificating about how scouts need to go back to being scouts, and about how all the technology has hurt us as much as helped us...no, I will be strong and save that for another venue!
You got me man, I think that too, and I can only see what I have done wrong compared to back in the day. I think the first time I really used the sight to do "scout stuff" was on the border of one country facing another and looking for bad guys. I was a PC and figuring out how to be a scout. Everyone wants to be the trigger puller. So many guys want to fly in the right seat without talking on the radios or understanding what needs to be done. I think we have gotten way to much into the killer role and gone away from the hunting. I just want a sight. Thats all I want. For Christmas maybe?
