USA Army needs faster, farther helicopters and in greater numbers

According to Aviation Week, the threats of 2030 and beyond will require the U.S. Army to move troops faster, farther and in greater numbers than ever before. Today, much of that tactical transport mission is done by the legacy Black Hawk. But as the UH-60 fleet begins to age out, engineers have reached the limits of traditional rotor technology. To stay ahead of the enemy, the service will need a "leapahead" capability, says Col. Doug Hooks, systems division chief at Army headquarters. "We can't upgrade our legacy fleet any more than we are doing right now, because of the laws of physics," he said. "You can't take a simple rotor with a tail rotor on that, and go beyond 200 kt., no matter how big you make the engine."

the threats of 2030 and beyond will require the U.S. Army to move troops faster, farther and in greater numbers than ever before

MH-139 does everything the Huey does, better. It flies 50 percent faster; it cruises 50 percent faster … it has a 30 percent larger cabin

On the other side, Boeing and Leonardo Helicopters showed off the proposed aircraft for the U.S. Air Force's next-generation light utility helicopter, in the wake of a new draft request for proposals for the UH-1N Huey replacement. Company officials on May 1 took several publications, including National Defense, on an aerial tour of downtown Philadelphia in an experimental model of the MH-139 multi-mission rotorcraft. The two companies plan to offer the aircraft to replace the service's aging UH-1N Huey fleet. They announced the partnership Mar 2 at the Air Force Association's Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Florida. J.D. Clem, director of Leonardo's Air Force division, told reporters about the MH-139, "it does everything the Huey does, better," he said. "It flies 50 percent faster; it cruises 50 percent faster … it has a 30 percent larger cabin."